Chapter 6: Mothers’ and Fathers’ Problematic Alcohol Use and Family Dynamics

Parent–child relationships are critical to adolescent development, with greater closeness and lower conflict linked to positive outcomes. While prior research shows that parental problematic alcohol use negatively affects general parenting, less is known about its impact on specific dimensions of the parent–child relationship or the mechanisms involved. This study examined whether parental perceptions of acceptability and knowledge about their adolescent mediated the link between problematic parental alcohol use and parent–child closeness (e.g., emotional warmth, open communication) and conflict (e.g., tension, disagreement). Parental hostility was tested as a moderator of the association between knowledge and both outcomes. Multigroup analyses explored differences between mothers and fathers. Data were collected from 457 parents of adolescents (aged 14–17) via Prolific. Path analysis revealed that although problematic alcohol use was not directly associated with closeness or conflict, it was positively related to perceived acceptability, which was negatively linked to parental knowledge. Knowledge was associated with greater closeness and less conflict, and both links were moderated by parental hostility. Multigroup analysis revealed a moderating effect of parental gender, with two distinct paths emerging for mothers and fathers. Findings highlight the need to examine parental attitudes and knowledge when assessing the impact of parental alcohol use on family relationships.