The differences in symptom severity between Classes 1 and 4 may thus be partially explained by a greater likelihood of parental AUD, increased odds of physical and sexual assault, and early initiation of drinking behaviors. Studies have routinely demonstrated a link between parental AUD and a greater likelihood of exposure to childhood physical and sexual abuse, as noted above (Anda et al., 2006; Bender et al., 2020). Our exploration of latent classes and subsequent analyses revealed that comorbid AUD-PTSD is associated with a likelihood of both physical and sexual trauma in families where both parents are affected by AUD, and that the majority of this trauma appears to take place during childhood. Thus parent AUD seems to be a key risk factor for a childhood environment that includes trauma exposure, whether or not that trauma was initiated by the parent, another family member, or non-related individuals—an observation in keeping with the vast literature on Adverse Childhood Experiences (Anda et al., 2006).
