Parenting and Marital Functioning as Possible Mediators between Parental Problem Drinking and Child Adjustment

Previous research indicates that exposure to parental problem drinking places children at risk for a number of emotional, behavioral, and social problems. The present study proposes to explore dimensions of parenting and marital functioning as possible mediators of the relationship between parental problem drinking and child adjustment. Questionnaire data from a sample of 236 community families, assessing multiple dimensions of parenting and marital functioning, are used. Results indicate that marital functioning, rather than parenting, may be the primary pathway through which parental problem drinking adversely affects child development. Specifically, significant indirect effects of paternal drinking on child adjustment through marital conflict, communication, attachment and aggression were detected. Tests of larger models indicate that these constructs continue to mediate the relationship between paternal drinking and child adjustment even after controlling for additional dimensions of marital functioning.