We found a reduced likelihood for the hazard of an alcohol problem among offspring whose parents did not remain together, similar to a report by Grant et al (2015) in an offspring of twins study. There are several possible explanations for this result. Decreased economic circumstances associated with single parent households might reduce affordability of heavy drinking and thus quick progression to alcohol problems. Dissolution of the parental relationship, with the (likely) departure of the AUD parent, may improve the home environment of offspring, which may lower the likelihood of problem development. Also, offspring in non-intact families are more likely to begin drinking earlier, which is linked to a slower progression to alcohol problems due to limited opportunities for heavy drinking in such early initiators (e.g., Sartor et al, 2007; Jackson 2010). However, determining the likely explanations will await further analyses.
