In the current study, we examine whether parental EB impacts the likelihood of young adult AUD differentially as a function of timing and chronicity of exposure. We also test the effects of cumulative exposure from two perspectives. First, how does having one versus two affected parents impact risk of young adult AUD, and does the gender of the affected parent differentially impact risk? Second, is parental EB exposure across multiple developmental periods more pathogenic than time-limited exposure? We explore these questions using the population of Sweden, for which data are available on substance abuse and criminal behavior in parents, as well as on AUD in their children. We anticipated that having a parent exhibit EB during adolescence would have a stronger influence on AUD risk than a similar exposure during early childhood. We further hypothesized that cumulative exposure to parental EB would act as a more potent risk factor than limited exposure.
