Any mediating role of other psychopathology seems unlikely given the continued association of AFD and AUD after controlling for most Axis I and II disorders (although the reduction in the magnitude of the association is consistent with partial mediation). However, this study did not test for a moderating role of other psychopathology, as could be done in future studies. The stronger association of AFD and AUD in the low-risk population suggests the possibility of unmeasured negative interactions between early AFD and the factors that were used to exclude individuals from the low-risk population. That is, early-onset drinking might have more potential for an independent association with the risk of AUD when that risk has not already been increased by predisposing family history, baseline and childhood risk factors.
