Here we sought to elucidate how and under what circumstances genetic risk for alcohol-related outcomes in young adulthood is transmitted by testing a prospective model that integrates variation in 5-HTTLPR, level of response to alcohol, and parental monitoring in adolescents (N = 218). The goal of this work was to better characterize the link between an established genetic alcohol risk factor and negative alcohol outcomes by examining both physiological (i.e., level of response to alcohol) and contextual (i.e., parental monitoring) factors in a prospective design. Based on prior research examining 5-HTTLPR and alcohol use as well as work that links a low level of response to alcohol and negative outcomes, we hypothesized that carriers of the 5-HTTLPR S allele would exhibit lower levels of response to alcohol, which in turn would make them more likely to drink more alcohol, have more occasions of binge drinking, experience more alcohol-related problems, and be diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). We further hypothesized that the association between level of response to alcohol and alcohol-related outcomes would be moderated by parental monitoring. Specifically, we proposed that the mediated effect would be stronger among individuals with low levels of parental monitoring.
