Anxiety disorders and risk for alcohol use disorders: the moderating effect of parental support

There have been mixed findings on the temporal relation between anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorders (AUDs), suggesting that the pathway to AUDs may differ among individuals. The aim of the current study was to test whether parental support moderated the association between anxiety disorders and the development of AUDs. We also tested whether our effects differed as a function of age of AUD onset.

817 individuals were assessed for lifetime diagnoses of psychopathology during 4-waves between adolescence (mean age=16) and adulthood (mean age=30).

Proportional hazards model analyses indicated that baseline anxiety disorders interacted with baseline perceived maternal support to prospectively predict onset of AUDs. At high levels of maternal support, anxiety disorders were associated with a reduced risk for AUD onset (HR=0.74, 95% CI=0.55-1.00). However, this effect was more robust for AUDs that developed prior to age 20. At low levels of maternal support, anxiety disorders were associated with an increased risk for AUD onset (HR=1.65, 95% CI=1.21-2.26). This effect was present for AUDs that developed across adolescence and adulthood. Paternal support was not associated with AUDs and did not interact with anxiety disorders.

Prevention and intervention efforts targeted at maternal support in adolescents with anxiety disorders may be valuable, as this may represent a factor that has a significant impact on the developmental course of AUDs.