Parental Alcoholism and Subjective Well-being of their Children in Kerala

Alcohol is important risk factors of ill health and disability. WHO estimates that one-fourth to one-third of the male population in South East Asian countries drink alcohol. In India, the estimated number of alcohol users in 2005 was 62.5 million and 17.4% (10.6 million) were dependent on alcohol. Of the hospital admissions, 20-30% were due to alcohol-related problems. Continuous alcohol abuse not only affects the individual but also family members, especially the spouse and children who faces many emotional problems and stressful life events. The effects during childhood of having a parent with a drinking problem has interested researchers in several countries. The greatest number of reports related to this subject have appeared in the U.S. literature and in the literature from countries of Eastern Europe. Objective: To study the effect of alcoholic consumption of parents on subjective well-being of their children. Method: Satisfaction with Life Scale developed by Diener et.al used to measure subjective well-being of the children. All data were analyzed using SPSS. Categorical data were expressed frequencies and percentage. Result: Low score of subjective well-being was found among children having alcoholic parents.