Abstract
BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACE) are related to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. However, few larger studies based on a general population sample with age groups ranging from young adults to elderly have investigated whether parental alcohol problems increase the risk of offspring subjective reports of ACE both during childhood and current adult adversities. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between parental alcohol problems and adversities during childhood and later in adulthood.MethodsThe 28,047 respondents were adults (> 18 years old) from the general population who participated in the Norwegian Counties Public Health Survey. The study had a cross-sectional design and included respondents’ evaluations of childhood experiences and current adult adversities. The short version of the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST-6, cut-off ≥3) measured parental alcohol problems. Multivariable logistic regression was adjusted for gender, age, and education.ResultsGrowing up with parental alcohol problems strongly increased the risk of experiencing a dysfunctional family environment during childhood (odds ratio [OR] 6.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.36–7.36), perceiving childhood as difficult (OR 5.01; 95% CI 4.58–5.49), and reporting a lack of support from a trusted adult (OR 3.07; 95% CI 2.86–3.29). Parental alcohol problems were associated with a modestly increased risk of harmful alcohol use (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.29–1.48), but the association with struggling with bad memories was strong (OR 4.56; 95% CI 4.17–4.98).ConclusionsParental alcohol problems increased the risk of offspring experiencing adversities during both childhood and adulthood. Providing supportive services to these children and their families and addressing this issue as part of treatment is important to prevent alcohol related harm.
Highlights
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are related to adverse physical and mental health outcomes
As one of the most prevalent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), excessive parental alcohol use negatively affects a range of health outcomes [8] and may lead to long-term adverse outcomes, such as mental health problems and substance use as adults [2, 6, 7, 9, 10]
The overall purpose of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to parental alcohol problems during childhood is associated with other adversities during childhood and adulthood
Summary
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are related to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Few larger studies based on a general population sample with age groups ranging from young adults to elderly have investigated whether parental alcohol problems increase the risk of offspring subjective reports of ACE both during childhood and current adult adversities. As one of the most prevalent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), excessive parental alcohol use negatively affects a range of health outcomes [8] and may lead to long-term adverse outcomes, such as mental health problems and substance use as adults [2, 6, 7, 9, 10]. Investigating whether parental alcohol consumption may be associated with increased risk of other types of harmful life experiences is warranted
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