THE EFFECTS OF A FATHER’S ALCOHOL MISUSE ON THE WELLBEING OF HIS FAMILY: VIEWS OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Alcohol misuse poses a major threat to the wellbeing of families. If a father drinks excessively, all members of the family are affected. A qualitative study of an exploratory and descriptive nature was undertaken in which 20 social workers were interviewed. The systems theory was used as a theoretical framework. The goal of the study was to explore and describe the effects of alcohol misuse by a father on the wellbeing of his family, as viewed by social workers. Four themes emerged from the findings. Some conclusions and implications are also noted.