Indicators of Familial Alcoholism in Children's Kinetic Family Drawings

Abstract

The impact of parental alcoholism on children has long been an interest for clinicians, educators, and the general public. Children of alcoholics are at risk for developing numerous difficulties, including low self-esteem, high impulsivity and hyperactivity, external locus of control, and greater incidence of illness, accidents, somitization, conduct disorder and academic problems. The goal of this study was to attempt to delineate indicators in children's depictions of family that would suggest the presence of parental alcoholism. Kinetic Family Drawings (KFD) from two groups of children, those with parents identified with alcoholism and those with no known parental alcoholism, were collected. Statistical analysis revealed two of the six items of the evaluation scale—depiction of isolation of self and isolation of other members of the family—were significantly higher in the group of children with substance-abusing parents (t (32) = -3.83, p < .05, and t (32) = -4.25, p < .05, respectively). Implications of these findings for art therapy practice and research are discussed.

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