mbers (48 ACOAs and 44 non-ACOAs) who were participating in ongoing heterogeneous outpatient psychotherapy groups. Each subject completed Yalom's 60 item, seven pile 'therapeutic factors' Q-sort in an effort to determine whether the two groups could be distinguished from one another in terms of their psychotherapeutic needs and issues.
The Hotelling's T square was used to compare the means of the two groups. No differences were found among ACOAs and non-ACOAs in the perceived importance of the therapeutic factors. Self-understanding, cohesion, catharsis, and interpersonal learning were the factors most valued and instillation of hope, altruism, guidance, and identification were the least important factors for both ACOAs and non-ACOAs.
Based on these findings, Mahon and Kempler (1995) concluded that findings support the notion that whether or not ACOAs are a distinctive personality and clinical population their therapeutic needs in groups may not differ from non-ACOAs.
Research suggests that Adult Children of Alcoholics have a number of adjustment issues associated with interpersonal, social, and family relationships. Regarding interpersonal issues, some studies suggest that ACOAs have interpersonal skill deficits that inhibit their having full and satisfying social and family relationships. This claim was examined in a study conducted by Senchak, Green, Carroll and Leonard (1996), the goal of which was to evaluate interpersonal skills and the relationships among interpersonal skills in a nonclinical sample of adult children of alcoholic, divorced and control parents using a multimethod assessment strategy.
All subjects in the study were prescreened to rule out parental psychopathology and maternal alcoholism (this because studies have shown that the effects of maternal alcoholism are different than the effects of paternal alcoholism). Sample subjects (N = 238, 50% male, 68% white) interacted with a same- or oppos...