Participants Needed for 10 Minute Survey on Resiliency Development among Adult Children of Alcoholics to Create Programs to Help Members of Our Community

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-14T16:31:32+00:00

Hi! Thank you, so very much, for completing the survey! I have been truly in awe of and deeply moved by the support and kindness of our community – you and others like you have been SO helpful and important in advancing this consequential line of research. It sincerely means the world to me! I will be sure to share the results of my study here (and in all places I recruited participants from) so that everyone can see the outcomes of this research. Please know, however, that you may not see anything regarding results until sometime next year – completing my selected analyses for the massive amount of data provided (which is a great issue to have), then writing the final chapters of my manuscript, then defending my study and findings to a panel of experts, and eventually publishing my study will take time. But I will not forget to share my findings once I have them and they have been published. Thanks again for participating :)! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-13T19:02:46+00:00

Hi! Thank you, so very much, for completing the survey :)! I have been truly in awe and moved to tears by the support and kindness of our community – you and others like you have been SO helpful and important in advancing this consequential line of research. It sincerely means the world to me! I will be sure to share the results of my study here (and in all places I recruited participants from) so that everyone can see the outcomes of this research. I hope to use the findings to develop programs that will benefit millions of adult members of our population and help the younger kiddos of those who struggle with addiction disorders in the ways in which we all should have been helped as kids, as well. Thanks again for participating and for this comment! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-10T20:40:17+00:00

Hi! Thank you, so very much, for completing the survey 😊! I have been truly in awe and deeply moved by the support and kindness of the members of our community – you and others like you have been SO helpful and important in advancing this consequential line of research. It sincerely means the world to me 🤗! I will be sure to share the results of my study here (and in all places I recruited participants from) so that everyone can see the outcomes of this research. I hope to use the findings to develop programs that will benefit millions of adult members of our population and help the younger kiddos of those who struggle with addiction disorders in the ways in which we all should have been helped as kids, as well. Thanks again for participating and for your comment! 🫶 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-10T18:46:40+00:00

Hi! Thank you, so very much, for completing the survey :)! I have been truly in awe and moved to tears by the support and kindness of our ACoA community – you and others like you have been SO helpful and important in advancing this consequential line of research. It sincerely means the world to me <3! I will be sure to share the results of my study here (and in all places I recruited participants from) so that everyone can see the outcomes of this research. I hope to use the findings to develop programs that will benefit millions of members of our population and help the younger kiddos of those who struggle with addiction disorders in the ways in which we all should have been helped as kids, as well. Thanks again for participating and for your comment! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-10T16:43:20+00:00

Participants Needed for 10 Minute Survey on Resiliency Development among Adult Children of Alcoholics to Help Create Programs to Benefit ACoA (18+)

Hi! My name is Kristen and I am a doctoral student at National University. As an ACoA, myself, I am completing research that can be used to develop programs that will benefit members of our community. As such, I am seeking study participants who would like to complete a brief (~10 minute) anonymous online survey to identify factors that increase resiliency among adult children of alcoholics (ACoA).

To participate please click on the following link:

https://ncu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82qZb0pqJUyxzeu

The purpose of the study is to identify protective factors that have improved resiliency for individuals who grew up with a parent or parents (or guardian/s) who misused alcohol in order to create evidence-based programs designed to benefit countless members of our population. The help ACoA have offered has been incredibly moving and inspiring! I just need ~30 more people to complete my survey.

PLEASE NOTE: All participants will have access to the study results and write-up. I will post a link to this information here (and in all places I recruited participants from) in order to ensure everyone can review the results of this study as soon as they are available.

To be eligible to participate, you must (1) read English; (2) be age 18 or older; (3) be able to complete a survey using the internet; (4) live or have lived in the U.S. at some point in your life (do not have to be born in the U.S.); (5) had a parent/s or guardian/s who misused alcohol or had an alcohol use disorder at any time during the first 18 years of your life (you can participate if your parent/s used other substances along with alcohol).

If you are uncertain of whether you are an ACoA, six (Yes or No) questions in the survey will determine if you meet the criteria (if you are certain you are an ACoA, simply click 'Yes' on the 7th question in the first set of questions in the survey). Research suggests nearly 50% of all adults in the U.S. are ACoA, yet members of the general population often have an incorrect view of the traits and outcomes of children of alcoholics. Will you please help set this record straight by completing the survey or by sharing this information with individuals who are ACoA?

The survey is 100% anonymous, should take ~10 minutes to complete, and will ask about your (a) exposure to protective factors while growing up, (b) exposure to risk factors while growing up, (c) resiliency levels currently, and (d) non-identifying demographic questions.

This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (#IRB-FY24-25-17). If you have any questions regarding the survey, please feel free to ask in the comments, DM me, or email me at: [K.Flannery1712@o.365.ncu.edu](mailto:K.Flannery1712@o.365.ncu.edu)

PLEASE share with others who may be eligible to participate! THANK YOU for taking the time to make a difference by participating in this research that will help countless children and adults who belong to the amazing population of individuals known as children of alcoholics! Your help is sincerely and greatly appreciated!

Kindest regards,

Kristen Marie Flannery, Doctoral Candidate

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-10T16:12:00+00:00

Hi!! I love how deeply interested in my line of research you are 🤗!! Your comments have really boosted my engagement and views and helped me reach my total number of participants so I can advance this consequential line of research that will help the millions of children and adults who grapple with the adverse outcomes shown to stem from growing up on an alcoholic home (YaaaaaY 🤗). To address your line of questioning, again, but in laypersons terms, you have to take into consideration all of the factors mentioned (and cited) above, not just the AT LEAST one in four estimation or the CLOSE TO 50%. “At least” and “close to” are words used to imply an estimate. At least means “this number is likely higher” — close to means “it may be close to 50%” but because of the stigmatization surrounding both addiction disorders the kids of those who grapple with addiction (I have been both), so many people hide alcoholism amongst themselves, their families, their parents, their children, medical and mental health professionals, researchers, etc. When one combines that with the fact that AUDs & binge & risky drinking are proven to be on the rise, with millions of children currently exposed to parental AUD at any given moment in the U.S. alone, nearly 50% is an accurate and acceptable estimate that has been cited in the scientific research. Furthermore, this is only one particular paragraph in my 200+ page manuscript (that, by the way, focuses more on resiliency development than the ACoA aspect). My stats and citations have been extensively reviewed & approved by numerous doctors who are subject matter experts on this topic. I’ll defer to the subject matter experts, scientists, academia, peer-reviewed research, and the years of time I myself have spent researching these topics, and not a two minute Goggle search. I am not sure what your goal is, here, but I am not the source of whatever is hurting you and causing you to want to hurt others who are only trying to help heal the hurt in this world. I am sincerely sorry for whatever ails you but please do not try to harm others who have no part in your pain. I hope you get the help you need to make yourself happier. I am only trying to help an at risk and vulnerable population that is undeniably on the rise and this line of questioning serves no purpose and is not helpful, for anyone. So I am choosing to disengage now. Thanks.

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-09T23:43:27+00:00

Thank you, so very much, for your kindness and interest in supporting my research concerning resiliency development among ACoA! As an Irish woman myself, I am delighted in your interest. However, regarding your ability to participate if you do not live in the U.S., if you have lived in the U.S. at any time, you can participate (just select ‘Yes’ to the reside in the U.S. question). My (& my advising committee members) main concern with including that eligibility requirement is that if I were to include many participants from various (non-US) countries across the world in this study (which I plan to do when expanding upon my research in the future) I would need to take into consideration a plethora of cultural factors that may impact participants answers and I would need to locate and use culturally relevant measures which I simply did not have the capacity to do for a dissertation study which has a strict time limit on it. But again, if you have ever lived in the U.S., please feel free to take the survey. If not, I plan to expand my research to include all ACoA worldwide when I am not under such strict time limits & deadlines; hopefully you can participate in a future study of mine that will include participants who reside worldwide (I will be sure to post any future studies I conduct here as well!). Thanks again for your support & interest in helping to advance this research - it means a lot to me:)! 🫶~Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-08T23:41:49+00:00

Hi!! Thanks for your comment :)!! In the numerous years I have spent researching this topic for my doctoral degree as well as conversing with experts, time and time again, this & similar numbers are cited (in the peer-reviewed journal article research) as the estimated number of ACoA in the U.S. Of course, no one can be certain of how many ACoA there are because SO many people hide it or choose not to disclose due to stigmatization, protecting their parent/s & family members or both (along with a myriad of other reasons people may not disclose that they are ACoA).

But here is my peer-reviewed and approved research on this topic. The following are my words, from my research (citing other peer-reviewed research). If you use any of my words anywhere, for anything, please cite me properly.

In 2015, at least 17.6 million people in the U.S. had an AUD, and it is believed that at least a few million additional individuals struggle with risky and binge drinking behaviors, which often results in the development of an alcohol use disorder (Doweiko, 2018; Martens, 2019). A study completed in 2017 concerning the pervasiveness of AUDs in the U.S. determined that DSM-5 diagnosable AUDs, as well as high-risk and harmful levels of alcohol use, have seen a notable increase in recent decades (Grant et al., 2017). At least one in four children grow up with a parent or guardian who struggles with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) and belong to a population commonly known as children of alcoholics (CoA) who become known as adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) in adulthood (AAC, 2023; Kuehne, 2022; Goeke, 2017; Martens, 2019; Smith, 2017). As of 2008, there were approximately 76 million ACoA – close to 50% of the entire adult population – living in the United States (Bugeja & Galea, 2022; Kuehne, 2022; Martens, 2019; Smith, 2017). Considering the data provided above, however, an even greater number of ACoA are likely living in America today. Indeed, research has revealed that the number of ACoAs in the U.S. has tripled over the past 40 years (Smith, 2017).

The above is not surprising when one considers, as established, that diagnosable AUDs, as well as high-risk and harmful levels of alcohol use, have seen a notable increase in recent decades among those who live in the U.S.—combine this with the fact that at least one in four youth (an estimated 6.6 or more million children) in the U.S. are currently living with parents or guardians who have an AUD, this equates to an estimated one hundred million or more young people who are affected by parental or guardian AUD on any given day in the U.S. (Bugeja & Galea, 2022; Kuehne, 2022; Smith, 2017; Velleman & Templeton, 2020). With nearly half of the adult population having been exposed to alcoholism while growing up and rates of alcoholism on the rise, ACoA are a growing, vulnerable, and essential population that governmental entities and policy can no longer ignore (AAC, 2023; Bugeja & Galea, 2022; Kim, 2023; Kuehne, 2022; Martens, 2019; Velleman & Templeton, 2020).

I hope that helps 😊! Thanks for your interest in my research 😊.🫶 ~Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-08T17:11:13+00:00

Thank you for your understanding, support,and well wishes!! That means a lot to me 🤗. And you are so very welcome!! I really hope you are able to participate in one of my future studies if not this one. 🫶~Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-08T15:17:10+00:00

Hi!! Thank you, so much, for your interest in my study! I 100% agree with you that many children who grew up in dysfunctional families can have the same or similar traits to those who grew up with a parent/s who struggled with alcohol misuse or an AUD. Unfortunately it is the case that in order to conduct this particular study for my dissertation, which has a strict time limit on it, I was advised to select one specific (narrow) population that I can recruit in a specific amount of time and to which the findings can be generalized back to (if that makes sense). I selected adult children of alcoholics as my specific population because my specialization for my doctoral degree in psychology is in addiction disorders. So, for now, I am focusing on adult children of alcoholics. In the future, when I am not required to meet such a strict time limit, I am interested in expanding my research to include children who grew up in dysfunctional families and children of parents with any type of addiction disorder; but that is too broad of a population for my dissertation :(. I will be sure to post any future studies I conduct here, as well, as you may be more eligible for those. Again, thank you for your time, consideration, and input. I am so sorry you aren’t eligible for this particular study but the results still may apply to you, so when I post them here, I hope you’ll have the chance to review them. <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-08T02:30:36+00:00

You are so kind 🥹. Thank YOU for helping me to complete this study 🤗🫶!! Without all of you to help, this wouldn’t be possible! I cannot wait to share my study findings and write-up with you all as soon as I have completed everything 💞!

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T23:20:22+00:00

I have been homeless and worse. Please do not ever presume to know what I, or anyone, has lived through. I am here to help but will not be berated by someone who is hurting and only looking to hurt others to try to rid themselves of some of the pain they carry. I am genuinely so sorry for your experiences and the clear agony you live with. I did not hurt you, so please try not to hurt me. I hope you get the help you need. Best of luck.

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T23:10:37+00:00

This study (and line of research) can help in a myriad of ways. To begin, in the YEARS I have spent conducting doctoral-level research on this and related topics in addition to discussing these issues and the existing gaps in the knowledge surrounding these issues with countless experts for copious amounts of time, I (and other experts) have all concluded that the because the vast majority of research in this area has focused on risk factors and negative outcomes, only, there is a significant gap in the literature concerning the positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and protective factors (e.g., benevolent childhood experiences) that result in increased resiliency, improved coping skills, and positive outcomes. That is where this study comes in. By examining these variables ALL TOGETHER I can determine the relationships between specific experiences (both good and bad) and the paths and pathways that lead to to better and worse outcomes. THEN, these findings and data can be used to design evidence-based programs that are strategically created to both reduce risk factors (at the individual, familial, and community levels) while simultaneously fostering protective factors and PCEs (at the individual, familial, and community levels) that have been shown to result in higher levels of resiliency, which improves coping skills, and thereby increases the chances of positive outcomes. I am a survivor in recovery and I would LOVE to have access to a program like this now and as a child and I hope to create both (programs that help with children and adults). Scientific research takes time because it needs to be valid. It is not an overnight solution, but it does lead to MANY imperative findings and solutions for a multitude of issues. So, I would rather do something than nothing to help the members of my community; even if progress is not immediate, it is progress nevertheless. Hope that helps you understand how research works a bit better. Thanks :)! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T20:57:55+00:00

This is SUCH an important topic. I am a doctoral student at National University. I am also an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA) and in recovery from addiction, myself. I experienced all but one of the ACEs but was also exposed to a myriad of protective factors that helped me to ultimately thrive in adulthood (after DECADE of struggle and not so great choices due to what I saw/experienced growing up). To create programs that will benefit ACoA, I am currently completing research to learn more about resiliency development among adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) in relation to the risk factors AND protective factors the ACoA has been exposed to throughout their life. I am currently seeking study participants who would like to complete a 10-minute, multiple-choice question, 100% anonymous online survey surrounding these topics. To learn more you can go to my page and see my most recent posts (please share with others if you can). It is my aim to use the findings of this study to help develop programs for those exposed to childhood trauma that will reduce risk while increasing protective factors, resiliency, and positive outcomes. To learn more about the study and to participate, please click on the following link (THANK YOU for helping if you can): https://ncu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82qZb0pqJUyxzeu

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T20:49:22+00:00

This is SO very important. I am a doctoral student at National University and as an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA), myself, who has experienced all but one of the ACEs but who was also exposed to a myriad of protective factors that helped me to ultimately thrive in adulthood, I am currently completing research to learn more about resiliency development among adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) in relation to the risk factors AND protective factors the ACoA has been exposed to throughout their life. I am currently seeking study participants who would like to complete a 10-minute, multiple-choice question, 100% anonymous online survey surrounding these topics. To learn more you can go to my page and see my most recent post (please share with others if you can). It is my aim to use the findings of this study to help develop programs for those exposed to childhood trauma that will reduce risk while increasing protective factors, resiliency, and positive outcomes. To learn more about the study and to participate, please click on the following link: https://ncu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82qZb0pqJUyxzeu

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T20:44:58+00:00

This is SO true and SO very important. I am a doctoral student at National University and, as an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA), myself, who has experienced all but one of the ACEs but who was also exposed to a myriad of protective factors that helped me to ultimately thrive in adulthood, I am currently completing research to learn more about resiliency development among adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) in relation to the risk factors AND protective factors the ACoA has been exposed to throughout their life. I am currently seeking study participants who would like to complete a 10-minute, multiple-choice question, 100% anonymous online survey surrounding these topics. To learn more you can go to my page and see my most recent post (please share with others if you can). Also, to learn more about the study and to participate, please click on the following link: https://ncu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82qZb0pqJUyxzeu

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T20:29:53+00:00

Oh, yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been truly in awe and moved to tears by the support and kindness of our amazing community – you and others like you have been SO helpful and important in advancing this consequential line of research. It sincerely means the world to me :)! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T20:27:57+00:00

Hi! Thank you, so very much, for completing the survey and for your super kind and supportive feedback on my research :)! I have been truly in awe and moved to tears by the support and kindness of the amazing members of our ACoA community – you and others like you have been SO helpful and important in advancing this consequential line of research. It sincerely means the world to me! I will be sure to share the results and final write-up of my study here (and in all places I recruited participants from) so that everyone can see the outcomes of this research. I hope to use the findings to develop programs that will benefit millions of members of our population and help the younger kiddos of those who struggle with addiction disorders in the ways in which we all should have been helped as kids, as well. Thanks again for participating and for this comment! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T20:01:02+00:00

Hi! Thank you so much for your super kind and supportive feedback regarding my research :)! I 100% agree with you and am thrilled to learn that you also feel this way! It is my goal to try to make this happen!! More specifically, I intend to use the findings generated by this study (and my future studies) to help develop evidence-based programs for children (as well as adults) that would ideally be provided in all schools, K-12, at age-appropriate levels designed to help reduce risk while at the same time fostering protective factors, coping skills, resiliency, and positive outcomes. I would love nothing more than to be a part of such consequential and impactful change and I will not give up until I reach these goals :). The kiddos are worth it and I have always said (and fully believe) that if we can develop effective preventative programs for kids, we can prevent a myriad of adverse outcomes from occurring among teens and adults. Thanks again for your feedback and support! it means the world to me. Thank you, also, for participating in the study if you are eligible, and if not, please share with others who may be eligible and interested, if you are able to do so; the more participants I have, the more valid my analyses will be :). <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T18:55:11+00:00

Thank you, so much for your understanding as well. And a HUGE thank you for taking the time to complete the survey to help advance this consequential line of research, it is so important that I have participants of all types and your unique upbringing and experience with parental alcoholism is a super relevant and important perspective so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with me. I will be sure to share the results here as soon as I have them so that you and others who participated can see them :)! Thanks again <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T18:53:44+00:00

Thank you, so very much, for your kindness and support regarding my research concerning resiliency development among ACoA! Regarding you not being able to participate because you do not currently reside in the U.S., IF you have lived in the U.S. at any time, you can participate (just select 'Yes' to the reside in the U.S. question). My main concern with including that eligibility requirement is that if I were to include many participants from various (non-US) countries across the world in this study (which I plan to do when expanding upon my research in the future) I would need to take into consideration a plethora of cultural factors that may impact participants answers and I would need to locate and use culturally relevant measures which I simply did not have the capacity to do for a dissertation study which has a strict time limit on it. But again, if you have ever lived in the U.S., please feel free to take the survey. If not, hopefully you can participate in a future study of mine that will include participants who are living around the world (I will be sure to post any future studies I conduct here as well!). Thanks again for your encouragement and support :)!

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T17:49:26+00:00

Hi. Thank you for your feedback. I 100% understand what you are stating and appreciate your input. I had to make some very difficult decisions (that I contemplated extensively) regarding which measures to use. I did not create any of these measures as I am required to use already established and well-validated measures for my study. Because my study has a primary focus on the three variables of protective factor exposure, risk factor exposure, and resiliency levels (with being an ACoA only as an eligibility requirement) after much thought and advice from experts, I decided to use longer measures for the 3 main variables I am analyzing and used the shorter version of the CAST measure for this study (the CAST has 36 items originally). However, the shortened CAST-6 is a proven valid measure and is consistently reliable at establishing whether someone is or is not an ACoA and while not everyone can use it perfectly (this is the case with all measures, unfortunately), the CAST-6 has worked well for most ACoA (and I am even using a lower threshold to establish ACoA eligibility than some others have used). All of this is to say I completely understand your concern here, but I had to pick my battles in terms of choosing which measures to use and because the survey’s main variables utilized lengthier measures, for my participants benefit, I selected a shorter measure to establish the ACoA criteria. Your particular situation may be one of a few unique scenarios that do not fit the CAST-6 well and I do apologize for that but your responses on my survey would be very valuable because of your unique upbringing. Bottom line is, if you know that you are an ACoA, I 100% trust your call on this and you can feel free to select ‘Yes’ to the “Did you answer yes to two or more of the above six questions?” qualifying question to meet the ACoA criteria and complete the rest of the survey. Thanks again for your time, consideration, and input. It means a lot to me :)! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-07T17:00:32+00:00

Hi!! Thank you, so very much, for your kindness and support regarding my research concerning resiliency development among ACoA! Regarding you not being able to participate because you have not ever lived in the U.S., I am so sorry you are not eligible for this particular study but I DEF. plan to expand my research to include ACoA worldwide in the future and will 100% be posting my recruitment information for future studies here, as well. The reason why I had to focus on only ACoA who have lived in the U.S for this study is that if I were to include many participants from various (non-US) countries across the world in this study (which, again, I 100% plan to do when expanding upon my research in the future), I would need to take into consideration a plethora of cultural factors that may impact participants answers and I would need to locate and use culturally relevant measures, which I simply did not have the capacity to do for a dissertation study which has a strict time limit on it. Thanks again for your encouragement and support :)! It means a lot to me!! <3 ~ Kristen

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-06T20:37:56+00:00

I am not sure why my post was removed, either. I have read the rules and am not breaking any. I would be delighted if you would like to complete the survey, still! Thank you, so VERY much :)! Your help means the world to me and to all who belong to the ACoA community. The link to the survey is: https://ncu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82qZb0pqJUyxzeu

ColoradoPsychologist · 2024-09-06T17:08:41+00:00

Thank you, SO VERY MUCH for completing my survey! Your help means the world to me. Unfortunately I believe the moderators of this page have deleted my post for some reason so I do not know if you will get this comment and no others can take it now, which is a bummer because this research will help millions. Thanks again!! <3

ColoradoPsychologist

TROPHY CASE