Parent problem drinking trajectory classes predict anxiety in adolescence and emerging adulthood

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Addiction research
• Mental health

Background:

• Parental problem drinking is a significant environmental factor influencing child development.
• Understanding the longitudinal patterns of maternal and paternal problem drinking is crucial for identifying risks.
• Offspring anxiety symptoms represent a major public health concern during adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct developmental trajectories of maternal and paternal problem drinking.
• To examine the association between these identified parental drinking trajectories and offspring anxiety symptoms.
• To investigate potential sex differences in trajectory classifications.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study utilizing parallel process growth mixture models.
• Sample of 870 adolescents (54% female), with data collected across multiple time points (2007-2014).
• Self-report surveys assessing parental problem drinking and offspring anxiety symptoms.

Main Results:

• Three dual trajectory classes emerged: Low-Both (low initial, increasing), Low-Mom/High-Dad (low mom, high dad initial, both increasing/stable), and High-Mom/Low-Dad (high mom, low dad initial, both increasing/stable).
• Adolescents in the High-Mom/Low-Dad trajectory class reported the highest levels of anxiety symptoms.
• Girls were more likely than boys to be in the Low-Mom/High-Dad and High-Mom/Low-Dad trajectory classes.

Conclusions:

• Interventions targeting anxiety should consider the evolving patterns of both maternal and paternal alcohol use.
• Maternal problem drinking trajectories, especially high and stable patterns, are a critical risk factor for adolescent and emerging adult anxiety.
• Future research should explore multi-informant and diverse geographical samples to enhance generalizability.