In the present study, we used family-based data from an ancestrally diverse, high-risk sample to examine parental divorce and relationship discord as family adversities that mediate genetic risk for alcohol problems. We tested two pre-registered hypotheses26. Parental divorce and parental relationship discord will be associated with a range of risky alcohol-related outcomes in children: (a) earlier age at alcohol initiation; (b) earlier age at first intoxication (c) a higher reported number of maximum drinks consumed in 24 hours; and (d) endorsement of more of lifetime clinical criteria for alcohol use disorder.Parental divorce and parental relationship discord will mediate the transmission of genetic risk for alcohol problems from parents to children. Parental divorce and relationship discord were examined separately in view of prior evidence that both parental marital status and the tenor of their relationship represent separate and unique influences on children’s outcomes27.
