We note a number of limitations to the current study. First, we did not capitalize on the genetically informative nature of the data. However, by limiting our analyses to biological families only, we eliminate complication of our findings by variation in genetic correlations such as between children and their biological versus step-parents. It is possible that associations between parental EB and young adult AUD are due in part to genetic liability shared across externalizing problems. Indeed, were genetic liability the underlying factor, we would not expect to observe period-specific influences of parental EB, as genetic liability would be temporally consistent. This possibility warrants further consideration in future studies.
