Parental externalizing behaviors (EB), including substance use disorders and antisocial or criminal behavior, are strong predictors of similar outcomes in children (1–8). This risk is conferred by both genetic liability and environmental exposures, as evidenced by genetically informative studies of adoptees and twins (9–11), and by studies exploring mediation across factors (12). Alcohol use disorder (AUD), which is moderately heritable (13), falls within the spectrum of outcomes associated with exposure to parental EB; however little is known about factors that may moderate these effects, such as timing and duration of exposure. In the current study of young adult AUD, we draw on tenets from developmental psychopathology to investigate patterns and effects of exposure to parental EB during upbringing, with an emphasis on differences in risk conferred by exposure during sensitive developmental periods and by exposures that accumulate over time. A better understanding of these temporal effects can inform targeted prevention of AUD.
