Parental psychopathology moderates the influence of parental divorce on lifetime alcohol use disorders among Israeli adults

BackgroundParental divorce and psychopathology are well-documented risk factors for alcohol use disorders (AUD) in the United States and other countries where divorce is common and per capita total alcohol consumption is moderate to high. However, little is known about these relationships in countries where divorce and alcohol problems are less common, such as Israel.MethodsIsraeli adult household residents (N = 797) age 21–45 were interviewed in person between 2007 and 2009. Logistic regression models were used to examine main and additive interaction effects of parental divorce and psychopathology on lifetime DSM-IV AUD, adjusting for age, gender, and ethnicity.ResultsParental divorce (OR = 2.18, p ≤ 0.001) and parental psychopathology (OR = 1.61, p ≤ 0.01) were independently associated with lifetime AUD and, when considered together, showed significant interaction (p = 0.026). Specifically, the effect of divorce on AUD was only significant among those who also reported parental psychopathology.ConclusionsThis is the first study showing the influence of parental divorce and psychopathology on risk for AUD among Israeli adults, where both divorce and AUD are less common than in the United States. Alcohol prevention and treatment professionals should recognize that children who experience parental divorce and/or psychopathology could be more vulnerable to later developing AUD than those whose parents remain together and without psychopathology.