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Cited by 972Child Abuse and TraumaSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesChild Welfare and Adoption

Adverse childhood experiences, alcoholic parents, and later risk of alcoholism and depression

Anda, Robert F., Whitfield, Charles L., Felitti, Vincent J., Chapman, Daniel, Edwards, Valerie J., Dube, Shanta R., Williamson, David F.·2002·Psychiatric Services
DOI 10.1176/appi.ps.53.8.1001
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The study examined how growing up with alcoholic parents and having adverse childhood experiences are related to the risk of alcoholism and depression in adulthood. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 9,346 adults who visited a primary care clinic of a large health maintenance organization completed a survey about nine adverse childhood experiences: experiencing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; witnessing domestic violence; parental separation or divorce; and growing up with drug-abusing, mentally ill, suicidal, or criminal household members. The associations between parental alcohol abuse, the adverse experiences, and alcoholism and depression in adulthood were assessed by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The risk of having had all nine of the adverse childhood experiences was significantly greater among the 20 percent of respondents who reported parental alcohol abuse. The number of adverse experiences had a graded relationship to alcoholism and depression in adulthood, independent of parental alcohol abuse. The prevalence of alcoholism was higher among persons who reported parental alcohol abuse, no matter how many adverse experiences they reported. The association between parental alcohol abuse and depression was accounted for by the higher risk of having adverse childhood experiences in alcoholic families. CONCLUSIONS: Children in alcoholic households are more likely to have adverse experiences. The risk of alcoholism and depression in adulthood increases as the number of reported adverse experiences increases regardless of parental alcohol abuse. Depression among adult children of alcoholics appears to be largely, if not solely, due to the greater likelihood of having had adverse childhood experiences in a home with alcohol-abusing parents.

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Authors
Anda, R. F., Whitfield, C. L., Felitti, V. J., Chapman, D., Edwards, V. J., Dube, S. R., & Williamson, D. F.
Affiliations
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
  • Kaiser Permanente (US)
  • National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychiatric Services
Publisher
American Psychiatric Association Publishing
Published
2002-08
Volume
53
Issue
8
Pages
1001-1009
ISSN
  • 0022-1597 (ISSN-L)
  • 1075-2730
  • 1557-9700
DOI
10.1176/appi.ps.53.8.1001
OpenAlex
W2147732539
Semantic Scholar
55069da53a279ee64cf8363caa4279d63b296cc5
Cited by
972
References
69
Citations by year
2026: 45 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 107 · 2020: 65 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 67 · 2016: 53 · 2015: 51 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 25
FWCI
14.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychiatric Services (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (TS-44-10/11)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
Keywords
adverse childhood experiences, parental alcoholism, adult children of alcoholics, alcoholism, depression, childhood abuse, domestic violence exposure, parental separation, household dysfunction
MeSH terms
Adult, Alcoholism, Child, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Parent-Child Relations, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Child of Impaired Parents

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