Associations between adverse childhood experiences, psychological distress, and adult alcohol problems.

Objective: To examine the mediating role of psychological distress on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult alcohol problems by gender.

Methods: Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted on 7279 Kaiser-Permanente members, aged >18 years.

Results: Psychological distress mediated significant proportions of alcohol problems associated with childhood emotional abuse and neglect, physical abuse and neglect, mental illness in the household, parental separation or divorce, sexual abuse, and household drug use among women and mental illness in the household, emotional neglect, physical abuse, household drug use, and sexual abuse among men.

Conclusion: It may be important to identify early childhood trauma and adult psychological distress in programs that focus on reducing alcohol abuse.