Parental alcoholism and coping : a comparison of female children of alcoholics with female children of non-alcoholics

The purpose of this research was; 1. to assess differences in level of depression between female children of alcoholics (COAs) and female children of non-alcoholics, 2. to assess potential differences in choice of coping strategies between COAs and children of non-alcoholics, and 3. to determine the extent to which the eight coping strategies under study were useful in predicting group (COA group or children of non-alcoholic group) placement. A sample of 103 (76 children of non-alcoholics and 27 COAs) traditional-aged undergraduate college students comprised the sample. An independent two-sample t-test revealed statistically significant differences in level of depression between the COAs and the children of non-alcoholics, with the children of alcoholics exhibiting a higher level of depression. However, the mean depression scores for both groups were within the no depression range.