As the sample ages, we will explore associations between divorce/separation and indices of risky drinking and dependence for a wider age range. Given the racial/ethnic differences in both the timing of alcohol use initiation (Faden, 2006; Malone et al., 2012) and the associations among risk factors associated with parental separation/divorce (Waldron et al., 2014b), recruitment of large racially/ethnically diverse samples will be critical to furthering our understanding of the contributions of parental separation/divorce to early alcohol involvement. Another logical next step in this line of research is the consideration of recurrence of parental separation, as parents may separate and return to living in the same household – or reside with other partners - at multiple points in time. Finally, as the family environment preceding parental divorce/separation may also confer risk for adolescent alcohol use, it will be important for future studies to collect information from parents about parenting behaviors at the time of, and preceding, the divorce.
