Alcohol and the family: opportunities for prevention.

Abstract

Objective: The intent of this supplement issue is to present current research on the role of families in the development of alcohol-related risk, to assess the potential of efficacy of family-based preventive interventions and to identify new directions for research.

Method: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism convened a working group of family and alcohol researchers in December 1996, to address these issues in a 2-day meeting.

Results: The articles presented in this supplement reflect the major presentations and discussions at that meeting.

Conclusions: There is theoretical and empirical support for the potential efficacy of universal and selective family-based preventive interventions for children. Studies testing the generalizability of intervention approaches are especially needed. Some additional preintervention research is needed, but should be directed toward questions with direct applicability to intervention development. Relatively little is known about family influences on adult risk, and the potential efficacy of family interventions for adults is not known at this time.