Adolescent alcoholism: A literature review of parental/familial modeling and intervention implications

Statistics show that adolescent alcoholism is a serious threat to the health of youth. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the percentage of underage drinking has remained high since 2002, indicating that interventions either are not effective or have yet to be developed. In self-reported data from SAMHSA, 2.4 million people age 12 to 20 claimed they were heavy drinkers. In addition, The United Health Foundation noted in its report that alcoholism–both adult and adolescent combined–was prevalent across most states, making it a health priority for intervention. Research shows that conflicting ideas regarding adolescent alcoholism being transferred through parental behaviors. While some make that connection strong, other resources suggest that environmental conditions and social interactions with non-family members create stronger alcoholic tendencies. This review provides some support for the statement that children become like their parents in relation to alcoholic tendencies; however, it also points out that parental modeling is just one of many contributing factors to the onset of adolescent alcoholism. In addition, implications for interventions such as those utilizing the family resilience model as well as policy recommendations to assist in developing such programs are analyzed within the context of creating preventions and policies that provoke social change.