Effect of parental alcohol abuse severity and child abuse and neglect on child behavioural disorders in Kerala

Background: Parental alcoholism and child abuse and neglect are significant mental health concerns for children living in alcoholic families. Near complete dependence of children of alcoholic parents for care and support aggravate risk for neglect and abuse in alcoholic families. Neglectful and abusive, and thus less optimal familial environments for child rearing tend to results in behavioural problems in children of alcoholics in terms of internalizing and externalizing disorders is rather limited in Indian context. Objective: To examine the influence of parental alcohol abuse severity and child abuse and neglect on children's internalizing and externalizing behaviours, ADHD and global behavioural disorders in children of alcoholic parents in Kerala. Participants and setting: In a cross-sectional community based survey, we randomly selected 4133 alcoholic parents and their children aged between 6-16 years from seven districts of Kerala, south India. Method: Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, Child Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire and Child and Adolescent Behavioural Inventory, and Social Desirability Scale, were used to measure alcohol use severity, child abuse and neglect, child behavioural disorders and parental social desirability. Results: Hazardous and harmful alcohol uses, child emotional neglect and abuse, physical and psychological neglect and abuse significantly worsened children's internalizing disorders (R-2 = .219). Parental hazardous and harmful alcohol uses, emotional neglect and abuse, physical and psychological neglect and abuse significantly worsened externalizing disorders and living standard inversely effected (R-2 = .173). Living standard, alcohol dependence symptoms, harmful alcohol use, emotional, physical and psychological abuses significantly increased ADHD (R-2 = .132). Hazardous and harmful alcohol uses, emotional neglect and abuse, physical and psychological neglect and abuse significantly increased children's behavioural disorders (R-2 = .251). Conclusions: Results warrants an urgent need for effective policy response that recognize children as an integral part of regular de-addiction service provisions, who need therapeutic interventions.