Almost 1 million people in Ireland grew up with a problem drinker in the home.
Research carried out by Maynooth University has also found a strong link between post-traumatic stress disorder and having a problem drinker in the household.
The research also highlights the high level of alcohol use in Ireland as a likely contributor to Adverse Childhood Experience.
Dr Sheila Gilheany CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland, says children exposed to such an environment can suffer a range of mental health problems.
'Children growing up in an environment of uncertainty they literally sometimes just don't know from day to day what the atmosphere will be like, what will be the implications. That kind of uncertainty leads to all sorts of other problems, it can lead to emotional problems, it can lead to mental health problems. We know that an awful lot of trauma associated with this trauma, what's known as an adverse childhood experience.'
