This study adds to a growing literature on important long-term negative consequences of childhood maltreatment, and suggests key roles for childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and physical neglect in the development of adult alcohol dependence in the general population. Findings confirm and extend previous reports of a childhood maltreatment– alcohol dependence relationship from studies with more limited samples and/or measures (Kessler et al. 1997; Sher et al. 1997; Anda et al. 2006; Dube et al. 2006; McLaughlin et al. 2010). Of particular importance, the increased risk of adult alcohol dependence conferred by sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse or physical neglect cannot be explained by other childhood trauma. Thus, children who experience these maltreatments are at risk of adult psychopathology, regardless of the presence or absence of other maltreatments, domestic violence, parental divorce, incarceration, suicide or death, or spending time in foster homes or institutions. Program development to reduce the burden of childhood maltreatment may therefore benefit from considering the negative effects of maltreatments across a broad range of childhood environments. Further, despite moderate tetrachoric correlations between maltreatments
