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Associations between early internalizing symptoms and speed of transition through stages of alcohol involvement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2017

Kyle R. Menary ,
William R. Corbin  and
Laurie Chassin
Kyle R. Menary*
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
William R. Corbin
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
Laurie Chassin
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Kyle Menary, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287; E-mail: kmenary@asu.edu.
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Abstract

Alcohol use disorders and internalizing disorders are highly comorbid, but how this comorbidity unfolds over development is not well understood. The present study investigated effects of internalizing symptoms in late childhood on speed of transition between three alcohol involvement milestones: first drink, first binge, and onset of first alcohol dependence symptom. Greater early internalizing symptoms were expected to predict a later age of first drink, a slower transition from first drink to first binge, and a faster transition from first binge to first dependence symptom. The effects of age and moderating effects of gender were also examined. Data were from a longitudinal study of children of alcoholics and matched controls (N = 454) followed from late childhood to midlife. Generally, stage-specific hypotheses were not supported; rather, greater internalizing symptoms predicted an earlier age of first drink and a faster transition through the full interval from first drink to first dependence symptom. Regarding gender moderation, internalizing significantly predicted a faster transition between each milestone as well as through the full interval among women but not men. These results suggest that early internalizing problems confer risk for a rapid transition through all stages of alcohol involvement, and this risk may be limited to women.

Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 29 , Issue 4 , October 2017 , pp. 1455 - 1467
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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Footnotes

The data used in this study were collected with support from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01-AA016213).

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