Citation

Su J, Kuo SI, Aliev F, Guy MC, Derlan CL, Edenberg HJ, Nurnberger JI, Kramer JR, Bucholz KK, Salvatore JE, Dick DM. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2018; 42(9): 1783-1794.

Affiliation

College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute Virginia Commonwealth University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/acer.13827

PMID

29969154

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Parental alcohol problems are associated with adverse adolescent outcomes such as risky drinking and conduct problems. Important questions remain about the unique roles of fathers' and mothers' alcohol problems and differences and/or similarities in pathways of risk across ethnicity and gender. In this study, we used a family systems approach to consider spillover and crossover effects of fathers' and mothers' alcohol problems (number of alcohol dependence symptoms) and parenting behaviors in relation to adolescents' risky drinking and conduct problems.

METHODS: The sample included 1,282 adolescents (aged 12-17) and their parents from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Parents completed the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) and adolescents completed an adolescent-version of SSAGA. Data were analyzed using multivariate structural equation modeling.

RESULTS: Fathers' alcohol dependence symptom count was associated with higher adolescent risky drinking and conduct problems indirectly via disruption to fathers' and mothers' positive parenting behaviors, whereas mothers' alcohol dependence symptom count was not associated with adolescents' risky drinking and conduct problems directly or indirectly via positive parenting behaviors. No differences in these associations were found across ethnic background and offspring gender.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the importance of considering the unique roles of fathers' and mothers' alcohol dependence symptoms in influencing family processes and adolescent outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

alcohol dependence; conduct problems; externalizing; parenting; risky drinking