Sense of Coherence and Psychological Well-Being Among Female Adult Children of Alcoholics

Abstract

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) have been identified as an at-risk population for alcoholism and depression. However, findings of previous studies have been inconsistent. Adapting the Salutogenic model proposed by Antonovsky (1979, 1987), this cross-sectional correlational study was designed to test a model of psychological well-being among female ACOAs. The constructs in the model were: past life experiences (family functioning in the family of origin and the gender of parental alcoholism), present life experiences (social functioning and self-help group attendance), generalized resistant resources (income and education), stressors (negative life events), Sense of Coherence, and psychological well-being (depression and inclination to problematic drinking behaviors). Following approval from the human assurance committee, a combination of local and Internet announcements were used to recruit self-identified ACOA women between the ages of 30 and 50, asking them to participate in an anonymous survey by mail. To measure research variables, seven pre-existing questionnaires were used with a selfdeveloped demographic questionnaire for this study. One hundred twenty-one participants returned their questionnaire, and 112 cases were used for analyses. Through path analyses, the results of testing the study hypotheses partially supported the theoretical model. Social functioning and family functioning in the family of origin significantly accounted for Sense of Coherence while Sense of Coherence showed a significant direct effect on depression. However, stressors did not significantly contribute to Sense of Coherence as originally posited. Generalized resistant resources did not show an indirect effect on Sense of Coherence. In the test of an alternative model, Sense of Coherence appeared to mediate the relationship between social functioning and depression. Also, in the alternative model, social functioning mediated between stressors and depression and between family functioning in the family of origin and depression. The study findings suggest emphasis on social functioning and Sense of Coherence in efforts to decrease depression among ACOA women.