Parental Alcohol Research Articles

Ratings of executive function as a risk factor for adolescents' frequent cannabis use: A prospective longitudinal study.

We examined the extent to which behavioral ratings of children's executive function (EF) in early adolescence predicted adolescents' cannabis use, and whether associations were independent of parents' cannabis and alcohol use and adolescents' alcohol use. Participants were 198 offspring (44% boys) of 127 mothers and 106 fathers. Parents and teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) at ages 11-14 years. Youth were interviewed repeatedly from ages 14 to 20 years regarding frequency of cannabis and alcohol use. Two-level models regressed dichotomous cannabis outcomes (annual, weekly, or daily use) on age at the within-person level and the random intercept of cannabis use on EF, parent substance use, and covariates (age 7 IQ indicators, child gender, parent education, and mean of ages assessed) at the between-person level. Poorer child EF predicted significantly (p < .05) higher likelihood of weekly (b[SE] = .64[.24]) and daily (b[SE] = .65[.25]), but not annual (b[SE] = .38[.22]), cannabis use. Parent cannabis use (b[SE] = .53[.25] to .81[.39], p < .05) independently predicted all three outcomes, and effects were distinct from those explained by parent alcohol use (b[SE] = .66[.29] to .81[.35], p < .05). EF remained a significant predictor of weekly and daily cannabis use after adjusting for parental alcohol and cannabis use, and adolescents' alcohol use. Children exhibiting poorer EF were more likely to use cannabis weekly and daily in later adolescence. Whereas literature suggests poorer EF may be a consequence of cannabis use, these findings suggest EF should be considered prior to cannabis use initiation. EF during childhood may be a fruitful prevention target. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Cannabis Use Disorder and Subsequent Risk of Psychotic and Nonpsychotic Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Disorder

Cannabis use is increasing worldwide and is suspected to be associated with increased risk of psychiatric disorders; however, the association with affective disorders has been insufficiently studied. To examine whether cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with an increased risk of psychotic and nonpsychotic unipolar depression and bipolar disorder and to compare associations of CUD with psychotic and nonpsychotic subtypes of these diagnoses. This prospective, population-based cohort study using Danish nationwide registers included all individuals born in Denmark before December 31, 2005, who were alive, aged at least 16 years, and living in Denmark between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2021. Register-based diagnosis of CUD. The main outcome was register-based diagnosis of psychotic or nonpsychotic unipolar depression or bipolar disorder. Associations between CUD and subsequent affective disorders were estimated as hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazards regression with time-varying information on CUD, adjusting for sex; alcohol use disorder; substance use disorder; having been born in Denmark; calendar year; parental educational level (highest attained); parental cannabis, alcohol, or substance use disorders; and parental affective disorders. A total of 6 651 765 individuals (50.3% female) were followed up for 119 526 786 person-years. Cannabis use disorder was associated with an increased risk of unipolar depression (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.78-1.90), psychotic unipolar depression (HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.73-2.25), and nonpsychotic unipolar depression (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.77-1.89). Cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder in men (HR, 2.96; 95% CI, 2.73-3.21) and women (HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 2.31-2.80), psychotic bipolar disorder (HR, 4.05; 95% CI, 3.52-4.65), and nonpsychotic bipolar disorder in men (HR, 2.96; 95% CI, 2.73-3.21) and women (HR, 2.60; 95% CI, 2.36-2.85). Cannabis use disorder was associated with higher risk for psychotic than nonpsychotic subtypes of bipolar disorder (relative HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.21-1.81) but not unipolar depression (relative HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.92-1.27). This population-based cohort study found that CUD was associated with an increased risk of psychotic and nonpsychotic bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. These findings may inform policies regarding the legal status and control of cannabis use.

Me & my family: a programme for children and parents in families with parental substance use problems – an outcome study

ABSTRACT Me & my family is a knowledge- and motivation-based programme that includes eight weekly sessions provided by the social services for families in which there are parental substance use problems (SUPs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the programme outcomes in terms of child and parental well-being, family climate, and parental alcohol and drug use. The study involved self-reported ratings from 59 children, aged 5–20 years, and 67 parents, of whom approximately two-thirds completed the programme and provided the self-ratings before, on completing, and three months after the intervention. Findings included a significant increase in family closeness and a significant reduction in family chaos after the intervention, which persisted three months post-intervention. Children also reported a reduction in self-rated conduct problems, whereas parents reported a similar reduction in self-rated symptoms of anxiety and depression. Parents also reported less alcohol and drug consumption post-intervention relative to baseline ratings. The findings suggest that the Me & my family programme supports child and family well-being and could potentially protect children from later detrimental outcomes. The results need to be replicated to evaluate the effectiveness of this programme compared with other programmes within the social services.

Event history analysis on racial disparities in the path to adoption for Black and White children

BackgroundBlack children are significantly overrepresented in many phases of the U.S. child welfare system. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to investigate racial disproportionality and disparities in the adoption process and factors that predict the length of time to adoption. Participants and settingThis study utilized administrative data from the 2014 year of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) collected in 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. MethodsThe disproportionality metric (DM) and disparity index (DI) were constructed for Black and White children, and event history analyses were conducted to calculate the probability of adoption while considering the time to adoption finalization. ResultsDM indicated that Black children (0.81) were underrepresented in adoption, and DI indicated that the likelihood of adoption for Black children (0.73) was one third lower than that for White children. The event history analyses revealed that White children were 1.27 times more likely to be adopted than Black children. White children had considerably fewer days from termination of parental rights to adoption finalization with a median time of 273.5 days compared to 328 days for Black children. Factors that extended adoption time included child intellectual, physical, and emotional/behavioral disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, parental alcohol abuse and disability, and child maltreatment histories, while parental drug abuse and longer stays in out-of-home care shortened the adoption process. We also found a significant interaction effect of race and neglect on adoption. Neglected Black children had a longer time to adoption than neglected White children. ConclusionsMore dedicated outreach programs and resources must be developed to ensure the effectiveness of adoption services and cultural continuity for Black children.

Characteristics of tobacco use among secondary school students: a cross-sectional study in a school in Valencia, Spain.

Cigarette smoking is a significant public health problem, and it is essential to work actively with young people to limit the incorporation of this addiction. This study aimed to identify characteristics associated with tobacco use in adolescents in a real setting. Epidemiologic, cross-sectional study including secondary school students aged 12-17 years in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades of "Joan Fuster High School" in the city of Sueca, Valencia (Spain). An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, cigarette smoking history, alcohol consumption, nicotine dependence, and exposure to parental cigarette smoking. The final sample of individuals surveyed included 306 students (50.6% females) with a median age of 13 years. The prevalence of cigarette smoking was 11.8% (13.5% in females and 9.9% in males). The mean age of cigarette smoking onset was 12.7 ± 1.6 years. Ninety-three students (30.4%) were repeaters, and 114 (37.3%) reported alcohol consumption. Significant factors associated with tobacco use were being a repeater (odds ratio [OR] 4.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-10.55, p = 0.002), alcohol consumption (OR 4.06, 95% CI 1.75-10.15, p = 0.002) and parental cigarette smoking (OR 3.76, 95% CI 1.52-10.74, p = 0.007). An operational profile of features associated with tobacco consumption was identified in the presence of parental cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor academic performance. Consideration of these factors could be useful in the operational design of cigarette smoking cessation interventions for young people in a context where there is a great need for better prevention and control of cigarette smoking.

Polysubstance use and its correlation with psychosocial and health risk behaviours among more than 95,000 Norwegian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic (January to May 2021): a latent profile analysis.

Polysubstance use represents an adolescent health risk; however, large-scale studies investigating this issue during the COVID-19 pandemic are scarce. We aim to (i) characterise substance use profiles among adolescents and (ii) identify correlates of such substance use profiles. Norwegian nationwide survey data from 2021 were analysed using latent profile analysis. Participants were 97,429 adolescents aged 13-18. We assessed cigarette, e-cigarette and snus use, alcohol consumption, and cannabis and other illicit drug use. Correlates included psychosocial variables, health risk behaviours, and COVID-19-related problems. We identified three adolescent profiles; those who use no substances (n=88,890; 91%); those who use snus and alcohol (n=6546; 7%); and those who use multiple substances (i.e., polysubstance profile; n=1993; 2%). Boys, older adolescents, adolescents with lower socio-economic status, and those reporting low levels of parental control, and higher parental alcohol use, mental health problems, pain-related variables, and other health risk behaviours were most likely to be in the polysubstance profile. Adolescents with social and mental health issues related to COVID-19 were more at risk of being in the polysubstance profile. Adolescents who use snus and alcohol showed similar patterns of risk factors, but on a somewhat lower level than those in the polysubstance profile. Adolescents who use multiple substances have an unhealthier lifestyle, are at a higher risk of experiencing psychosocial impairments, and report more problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventative strategies to reduce polysubstance use might help promote psychosocial well-being in adolescents across various life domains. This study was funded by two grants from the Research Council of Norway (project #: 288083 and 300816). The Norwegian Directorate of Health has funded the data collection. The Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Directorate of Health have not had any role in study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and writing of the report.

Polygenic risk score for problematic alcohol use predicts heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder symptoms in young adulthood after accounting for adolescent alcohol use and parental alcohol use disorder

BackgroundGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of loci associated with alcohol-related traits. GWAS permit the calculation of polygenic risk scores (PRS), which aggregate genetic risk for a trait across the genome. To evaluate the usefulness of a PRS for problematic alcohol use (PAU)—which subsumes alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol-related problems—we tested whether this PRS predicted heavy drinking and alcohol problems after accounting for family history of AUD and prior drinking history, robust and established predictors of PAU. MethodsParticipants (N=665) were European-ancestry members of the Michigan Longitudinal Study, a prospective family study with high rates (65%) of parental AUD. Participants reported their frequency of alcohol use, maximum drinks consumed in a 24-hour period, and alcohol use problems at four assessments in adolescence and young adulthood (11–29 years old). We used polygenic prediction via Bayesian regression and continuous shrinkage priors to create a PAU PRS using summary statistics from a meta-GWAS of PAU. ResultsAfter adjusting for demographic covariates, parental AUD, and drinking and alcohol use problems in early and mid/late adolescence, the PAU PRS was significantly associated with alcohol-related problems in young adulthood (β=.08, p=.047; R2=0.6%). The PAU PRS also had a significant indirect effect on alcohol use problems in young adulthood through earlier drinking and alcohol use problems (β=.02, p=.03). ConclusionsThe PAU PRS predicted alcohol problems in young adulthood after accounting for parental history of AUD and alcohol use in adolescence, providing evidence that genetic data uniquely inform the etiology of alcohol problems.

Perceived parental alcohol problems and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents in Sweden

IntroductionFor adolescents, parental problem drinking can be regarded as a chronic stressor, negatively affecting their health. There is limited knowledge and a relative lack of empirical evidence on this topic, especially in Sweden. The aim of the current study was to examine perceived parental alcohol problems and the links with psychosomatic complaints among adolescents in Sweden. MethodsData were obtained from the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs’ national survey of 2021, collected amongst 9,032 students in grades 9 (∼15–16 years) and 11 (∼17–18 years). Perceived parental alcohol problems were measured by the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST-6) scale, using a cutoff at ≥ 3. Psychosomatic complaints were captured by a binary measure based on the frequency of headache, stomach ache, feeling depressed or down, difficulties to fall asleep, and sleeping poorly at night. Sociodemographic characteristics included gender, grade, parental education, and parental country of birth. Descriptive analyses with chi2 tests and binary logistic regression analyses were performed. ResultsAdolescents with perceived parental alcohol problems had higher odds of reporting psychosomatic complaints compared with adolescents without perceived parental drinking problems, even when adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Girls, grade 11 students, adolescent with at least one parent born in Sweden, and those without university-educated parents were more likely to report parental alcohol problems. ConclusionsThe findings highlight adolescents with perceived parental alcohol problems need support. The school, being an arena where adolescents spend much of their time, may play a vital role in this regard.

Childhood adversity, emergent psychopathology, and adolescent-to-parent violence: Process mining trajectories from police and health service administrative data

AimTo discover developmental risk trajectories for emerging mental health problems among a sample of adolescent family violence offenders to inform service delivery focused on early preventative interventions with children and their families.DesignA retrospective case-series design employing data linkage.SettingAn Australian regional location.ParticipantsAdolescents (born between 1994 and 2006) issued a legal action by the NSW Police Force for an adolescent-to-parent family violence offense (n = 775).ProcedureDiscrete routinely collected episode data in police and health service electronic records for children, and police data for parents, were linked and transformed into longitudinal person-based records from birth to 19 years to identify trajectories for mental health problems.ResultsSixty-three percent (n = 489) of adolescents had contact with a mental health service before age 19. The majority of these adolescents received a diagnosis for a stress or anxiety disorder (n = 200). Trajectory analysis found childhood exposure to parental intimate partner violence and parental drug and/or alcohol use were dominant events in the pathway to receiving a mental health diagnosis. Being a victim of a sexual offense was found to increase the odds of adolescents having a diagnosis for each of the main mental health categories (with the exception of drug or alcohol disorders).ConclusionsPathways to mental health problems were characterized by inter-related adverse childhood events and poly-victimization for many adolescents. Early identification of at-risk children must be a continued focus of child health services in order to reduce and identify early emerging mental health problems.

Prevalence, Pattern and Correlates of Underage Alcohol Drinking among Secondary School Students in Orlu, Imo State

Background: Alcohol is one of the most commonly used substances among young people. Early initiation of alcohol drinking has been linked to an increase in mortality, morbidity, and the risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life. As a result, underage drinking has been regarded as one of the leading public health issues globally. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, and socio-demographic correlates of alcohol drinking among secondary school students in Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria.&#x0D; Methods: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study of 240 secondary school students, selected through a multistage sampling technique. Socio- demographic data and pattern of alcohol consumption was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.&#x0D; Results: The lifetime, 12-month, and 30-days prevalence of underage alcohol drinking was 67.9%, 59.6%, and 55.8%, respectively. Twenty-nine (12.1%) of the respondents had engaged in binge drinking. In the past 12 months, 60 (42%) of the respondents drank alcohol less than once a month. Alcohol drinking was associated with being male (p=0.001), older age (p=0.001), having an unemployed caregiver (p=0.04), parental alcohol drinking (p=0.001) and intimate partner drinking (p=0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion: Underage alcohol drinking is common among students in Orlu, Imo State. We recommend educating students and their caregivers on the growing problems of alcohol consumption.

Abstract 6458: Maternal and paternal alcohol exposures program higher incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in offspring

Abstract Environmental exposures during development are known to influence adult health and disease. Specifically, early developmental exposures have been shown to increase susceptibility to cancer in adults through epigenetic mechanisms. Alcohol is a potent environmental carcinogen and teratogen, causing a wide range of health problems across the life course of an individual. Current literature examining early life exposures solely focuses on maternal exposures despite recent efforts to recognize paternal epigenetic contributions. Thus, we investigated the influence of preconception paternal, maternal, and dual parental alcohol exposures on offspring’s predisposition to develop liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We hypothesized that dual-parental alcohol exposure would exacerbate the incidence of liver cancer in adult offspring. Using an established mouse model, we exposed male and female adult C57BL/6J mice to control (0% EtOH) or alcohol (10% EtOH) preconception treatments. Next, we randomly assigned pups from each treatment to either a single injection of Diethylnitrosamine (DEN; 25mg/kg) to promote liver tumors, or saline control. Finally, we sacrificed offspring on postnatal day 182 and collected organs and blood for enzyme analysis. DEN-treated males display an increased liver-to-body weight ratio compared to saline males while also exhibiting lower body weight. The male progeny from the dual-parental treatment group exhibited a significant increase in tumor incidence and burden in DEN-treated males, exceeding those measured for the maternal and paternal treatments. Further, offspring from the dual-parental group had high levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) compared to the other treatment groups. Oil Red-O and Sirius Red staining of liver sections revealed increased hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in DEN males compared to saline males. Again, the dual-parental exposed offspring exhibited the most aberrant phenotype. Blind scoring of H&amp;E-stained liver sections identified increases in steatosis, fibrosis, and HCC lesions, with the highest scores emerging in DEN-treated dual-parental offspring. These findings demonstrate that preconception paternal and gestational maternal alcohol exposures program a predisposition to adult-onset chronic diseases including alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatic fibrosis, and HCC. These experiments not only confirm our hypothesis that dual-parental exposed offspring exhibit an exacerbated hepatic abnormality phenotype, but also highlight the importance of both maternal and paternal environmental exposures on disease risk in offspring. While the negative effects of maternal alcohol consumption have been well established, our novel finding that paternal alcohol exposure also promotes hepatocellular carcinoma in offspring has potentially profound clinical implications. Citation Format: Alison Basel, Sanat S. Bhadsavle, Kara N. Thomas, Katherine N. Zimmel, Alexis N. Roach, Matthew Gaytan, Grace Parkey, Michael C. Golding. Maternal and paternal alcohol exposures program higher incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in offspring. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6458.

Problematisation of Parental Alcohol Abuse Related Harm to Children: The Results of Professionals’ Response

Problematisations as taken-for-granted “truths” practices making it crucial to look at them critically and to draw attention to any potentially harmful consequences they may have. The main aim of this article is to examine how the issue of parental alcohol’s harm to children is problematised in the child protection and support processes in Lithuania. Data from 20 semi-structured interviews with key child welfare and protection experts were analysed using Bacchi’s problematisation approach strategy. Professionals think that parental intoxication is damaging to children, and because of the issues they perceive, most of their work is focused on measures to enhance parental behaviour. This approach to the problem distances professionals from the harm that children are experiencing. It is typical to remove children from intoxicated parents and re-unite them once the parents sober up. Professionals rely on their own moral principles and ideals, particularly the desire to maintain “family unity”. Long-term harm develops when children who need support are undervalued and neglected. Because child welfare practices focus on a small portion of the problems, the harm to the children’s personalities and development is not adequately addressed. Analyses showed that the problematisation of parental alcohol abuse-related harm to children by professionals impacts the presumed result, which is that children are the “visible but unprotected victims”. The professional field of problematisation of alcohol’s harm to children brought on by parental alcohol misuse must consider crucial elements such as understanding childhood trauma and its long-term effects on child development, knowing how to respond to it when it occurs, and understanding how to avoid harmful long-term consequences.

Do Australian adolescents with permission to drink at home engage in different alcohol use behaviours and experience more harms than those without such permission?

Around half of Australian students aged 16-17 are estimated to have drunk alcohol in the past month, with 11% drinking at 'risky' levels. This study investigated: (i) how many Australian adolescents aged 16-17 had parental permission to drink at home in 2016/17 and whether prevalence differed by adolescent sex; (ii) whether adolescents allowed to drink at home had drunk more recently and were drinking greater quantities; (iii) if adolescents allowed to drink at home experienced more alcohol-related harms; and (iv) if parental drinking patterns were associated with permitting adolescents to drink at home. Data from Wave 7 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used. Descriptive and bivariate analyses addressed Aims i-iii. Nested multivariable logistic regression models addressed aim iv. In 2016/17, 28% of Australian adolescents aged 16-17 were allowed to drink alcohol at home. More adolescents with permission had drunk alcohol in the past month (77% vs. 63% of those without permission). There was no difference in quantity of alcohol consumed in the past week between groups. More adolescents allowed to drink at home had experienced alcohol-related harm compared to those without permission (23% vs. 17%). In multivariable analyses, alcohol consumption by primary parents was associated with an increased likelihood of allowing adolescents to drink at home. In order to reduce adolescent alcohol use and associated harms, parents should avoid permitting alcohol use among adolescents at home. Frequent (twice or more/week) primary parental alcohol consumption was especially associated with greater odds of allowing adolescents to drink at home.

Copper-/Zinc-Doped TiO2 Nanopowders Synthesized by Microwave-Assisted Sol–Gel Method

Using the microwave-assisted sol-gel method, Zn- and Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with an anatase crystalline structure were prepared. Titanium (IV) butoxide was used as a TiO2 precursor, with parental alcohol as a solvent and ammonia water as a catalyst. Based on the TG/DTA results, the powders were thermally treated at 500 °C. XRD and XRF revealed the presence of a single-phase anatase and dopants in the thermally treated nanoparticles. The surface of the nanoparticles and the oxidation states of the elements were studied using XPS, which confirmed the presence of Ti, O, Zn, and Cu. The photocatalytic activity of the doped TiO2 nanopowders was tested for the degradation of methyl-orange (MO) dye. The results indicate that Cu doping increases the photoactivity of TiO2 in the visible-light range by narrowing the band-gap energy.

Photocatalytic Performance of Sn–Doped TiO2 Nanopowders for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange Dye

The tin-doped TiO2 powders obtained by sol-gel and microwave-assisted sol-gel methods were investigated. The synthesis took place in a basic medium (pH 10, ammonium hydroxide, 25%) starting from tetrabutyl orthotitanate in its parental alcohol. In the case of the dopant, Tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate as SnO2 precursor was used in the amount of 1, 2, or 4 mol % SnO2. Based on thermal analysis data, the powders were thermally treated in air, at 500 °C. The comparative investigation of the structure and morphology of the nanopowders annealed at 500 °C was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction (HRTEM/SAED), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) coupled with EDX mapping, Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR), UV–Vis, Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray florescence spectroscopy (XRF). The obtained materials were tested for the photocatalytic removal of methyl orange dye from aqueous solutions. High degradation efficiencies (around 90%) were obtained by Sn doping after 3 h of UV light irradiation.

Family dynamics and adjustment across Latino/a students' transition to college: Disentangling within- and between-person reciprocal associations.

Latino/a adolescents are increasingly represented in higher education. Whereas previous work suggests that positive aspects of the family can promote adjustment during the college transition, less is known regarding the longitudinal, reciprocal nature of these associations. The current study examined changes in parenting, family dynamics, and adjustment across the transition from high school to college among 207 Latino/a young adults (Mage = 18.10; 65.0% female identifying) in the Southwestern United States and investigated within- and between-person reciprocal relations using standard and random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. Participants self-reported on parental support, parental monitoring, family communication, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use during their senior year of high school (Time 1; spring/summer 2017), first semester of college (Time 2; fall 2017), and second semester of college (Time 3; spring/summer 2018). Parental support, family communication, depressive symptoms, and alcohol use increased across the initial transition from high school to college, whereas parental monitoring decreased across time. Reciprocal effects were largely between-person driven. Family communication in high school was concurrently and prospectively related to fewer depressive symptoms. Higher parental monitoring during the first semester of college was related to less alcohol use within and across semesters. In addition, students who experienced within-person increases in depressive symptoms during the first semester of college perceived less parental support than usual the next semester. Study findings point to the importance of developmental timing and further highlight the role that family plays during Latino/a students' transition to college. Implications for family-based prevention efforts are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Helping Children with Distance Learning During COVID-19 on U.S. Parents' Alcohol Consumption.

We examined the impact of distance learning-related parental stress due to COVID-19 on parental alcohol consumption using an online survey in May 2020 with a convenience sample of U.S. adults. This article focuses on the 361 parents who had children under the age of 18 living with them. Seventy-eight percent had children who were engaged in distance learning; 59% reported being stressed because they were not sure how to help their children with distance learning. Stressed parents reported consuming significantly more alcohol and binge drinking more often than parents who were not stressed by distance learning. We hope that public health professionals can use our findings to better target alcohol prevention programs aimed at parents to reduce parental stress, and hopefully, parental alcohol consumption.

Adolescent predictors of psychiatric disorders in adulthood: The role of emotional distress and problem drinking in emerging adulthood.

The current study evaluated risk factors in adolescence on problem drinking and emotional distress in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and meeting criteria for diagnosed disorders in adulthood. The study included 501 parents and their adolescent who participated from middle adolescence to adulthood. Risk factors in middle adolescence (age 18) included parent alcohol use, adolescent alcohol use, and parent and adolescent emotional distress. In late adolescence (age 18), binge drinking and emotional distress were assessed, and in emerging adulthood (age 25), alcohol problems and emotional distress were examined. Meeting criteria for substance use, behavioral, affective, or anxiety disorders were examined between the ages of 26 and 31. Results showed parent alcohol use predicted substance use disorder through late adolescent binge drinking and emerging adulthood alcohol problems. Behavioral disorders were indirectly predicted by adolescent and emerging adult emotional distress. Affective disorders were indirectly predicted by parent emotional distress through adolescent emotional distress. Finally, anxiety disorders were predicted by parent alcohol use via adolescent drinking; parent emotional distress via adolescent emotional distress, and through adolescent alcohol use and emotional distress. Results provided support for the intergenerational transmission of problem drinking and emotional distress on meeting criteria for diagnosed psychiatric disorders in adulthood.

Gene-environment interplay linking perceived parental supervision and peer drunkenness with Chinese adolescent alcohol initiation.

Following 602 Chinese twin pairs (48% male, all Han ethnicity) from primarily lower-than-average socioeconomic status families from early to mid-adolescence (Ms =12 and 15 in 2006 and 2009), this study investigated gene-environment interplay between perceived parental supervision, peer drunkenness, and adolescent alcohol initiation. For alcohol initiation, shared environmental influences were initially negligible but became substantial. Genetic factors largely explained the links between both correlates with alcohol initiation. Parental supervision amplified genetic risks for alcohol initiation in early adolescence but suppressed it in mid-adolescence. Peer drunkenness augmented genetic and environmental influences at both times. Peer drunkenness showed stronger links and moderating potential than parental supervision. Chinese adolescents show dynamic gene-environment interplay patterns involving parent-child and peer processes in alcohol initiation.

Perceived parental alcohol problems and later dropout and grade point average in high school: A register-based follow-up study.

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that young people with perceived parental alcohol problems have higher dropout rates in high school and lower grade point average (GPA) at graduation compared to young people without perceived parental alcohol problems. Data come from Danish National Youth Study 2014 (n= 62,171), merged with register-data on later dropout of high school and GPA. Multilevel Poisson regression models of incidence rates of dropout and multilevel linear models of GPA were used to assess the association with perceived parental alcohol problems. A total of 6.6% of the students perceived their parent(s) to have alcohol problems. Young people with perceived parental alcohol problems had higher dropout rate (girls incidence rate ratio 1.83; 95% confidence interval [1.62-2.06]); boys (incidence rate ratio 1.38; 95% confidence interval [1.17-1.64]) and lower grades (GPA: -0.24; 95% confidence interval [-0.32; -0.17]) compared to those without. There was no statistically significant difference between mother's and fathers' alcohol problems in the associations with dropout and GPA. Perceived parental alcohol problems were associated with higher incidence rate ratio of dropout and lower grades within all categories of the socioeconomic factors. Our results show that young people with perceived parental alcohol problems have higher high school dropout rates and lower grades compared to those without perceived parental alcohol problems across gender and socioeconomic position. The results call for evidence-based interventions to support young people with parental alcohol problems in the educational system.