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Abstract
Many research studies have documented the detrimental effects of being raised in an alcoholic family. However negative outcomes of parental drinking can be minimized by several protective factors including specific personality resources and beliefs. Such protective function can be potentially fulfilled by basic hope – a fundamental belief in order and positivity of the world. It was hypothesized that 1) basic hope will be inversely correlated with perceived negative impact of parental alcoholism and 2) this relationship will be mediated by personal growth understood as constructive personality changes in self-perception, interpersonal relationship, appreciation for life and spirituality. A set of psychometric questionnaires was completed by adults who were raised by alcoholic parent(s) (N=96), in the ages between 20 and 40 (M = 26,5, SD = 3,43): Basic Hope Inventory (BHI – R), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Impact of Parental Alcoholism Scale (IPAS). Both hypotheses were confirmed. The results indicate that high basic hope individuals tend to report higher level of personal growth, which in turn, minimizes the perception that they are victims of parental alcoholism. Additional analysis revealed the superior role of changes in self – perception in the mediation effect of personal growth.Key words: Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA), basic hope, personal growth, mediation analysis.