Alcohol dependence is a common and debilitating disorder that is subject to both genetic and environmental influences. The heritability of alcohol dependence has been estimated at 50% (Goldman et al., 2005), implying that shared and non-shared environmental factors also contribute to individual differences in risk. Childhood trauma exposure has been linked to alcohol dependence (Copeland et al., 2011; Enoch, 2011; Magnusson et al., 2011; Widom et al., 2007; Young-Wolff et al., 2011), suggesting that adverse childhood experiences contribute to this environmental risk.
