In the AA sample, parental relationship discord was associated with a more rapid escalation of HED and slower decline across adolescence and young adulthood. In contrast, parental separation was not associated with the longitudinal course of HED. These findings remained consistent when using parental history of AUD to index genetic predispositions instead of PGSPAU. This pattern of findings suggests distinctive patterns, with parental relationship discord demonstrating a more pronounced impact on the course of HED in the AA sample. Although the mechanisms underlying this pattern are not well established in prior literature, it is consistent with research indicating that family disruption does not uniformly influence children’s behavioral outcomes. Previous studies have shown that the effects of parental separation/divorce on children’s outcomes tend to be more pronounced among children from families in which separation is less prevalent and thus less anticipated.45 In our sample, rates of parental separation were higher in the AA (66%) compared to EA (40%) samples, consistent with prior research showing higher rates of marital instability among African American families compared to European American families.46 Our results may
