Parental social support as a moderator of self-medication in adolescents

► We used an experience sampling paradigm to examine parental factors that are associated with self-medication in an elevated-risk sample. ► Parent-reported family communication moderated the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. ► Adolescents with higher parent-reported family communication had a greater likelihood of drinking on days with more negative affect. ► Parental support may be a response to alcohol use and self-medication.