Developmental pathways of the family bereavement program to promote growth 15 years after parental death.

Although parental death increases the risks of negative developmental outcomes, some individuals report personal growth, an outcome that has received little attention. We tested a developmental cascade model of postloss growth in 244 parentally bereaved youth (ages 8-16 at baseline) from 156 families who participated in a randomized controlled trial of a family-based intervention, the Family Bereavement Program (FBP). Using five waves of data, the present study examined the prospective associations between the quality of parenting immediately following the FBP and postloss growth 6 and 15 years later, and whether these associations were mediated by changes in intra- and interpersonal factors (mediators) during the initial 11 months following the FBP. The mediators were selected based on the theoretical and empirical literature on postloss growth in youth. Results showed that improved quality of parenting immediately following the FBP was associated with increased support-seeking behaviors and higher perceived parental warmth at the 11-month follow-up, both of which were related to postloss growth at the 6-year follow-up and 15-year follow-up. No support was found for the other hypothesized mediators that were tested: internalizing problems, intrusive grief thoughts, and coping efficacy. To promote postloss growth for parentally bereaved youth, bereavement services should target parent-child relationships that help youth feel a sense of parental warmth and acceptance and encourage youth to seek parental support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Preventing Adverse Outcomes for Bereaved Youth: Indirect Effects From a Randomized Trial of the Family Bereavement Program on Fear of Abandonment, Grief, and Mental Health.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the self-system belief of fear of abandonment mediated the effects of intervention-induced change in 2 protective factors-positive parenting and adaptive coping-and one risk factor-stressful events-on youth mental health problems and maladaptive grief. This study extends prior research on fear of abandonment in youth who experience parental death by examining pathways through which a program reduced fear of abandonment and, in turn, affected subsequent pathways to child mental health problems in the context of a randomized experiment. METHODS: This is a secondary data analysis study. We used data from the 4-wave longitudinal 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial of the Family Bereavement Program conducted between 1996 and 1999 in a large city in the Southwestern United States. The sample consisted of 244 offspring between 8 and 16 at the pretest. They were assessed again at posttest, 11-month follow-up, and 6-year follow-up. Offspring, caregivers, and teachers provided data. RESULTS: Mediation analyses indicated that intervention-induced reductions in stressful events were prospectively associated with a lower fear of abandonment. For girls, fear of abandonment was related to self-reported maladaptive grief and teacher-reported internalizing problems 6 years later. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends prior research on the relation between intervention-induced changes in risk and protective factors and improvements in outcomes of bereaved youth. The findings support the reduction of stressful events as a key proximal target of prevention programs for bereaved children.

Are Discrepancies Between Father and Adolescent Perceptions of Harsh Parenting and Conflict Associated with Adolescent Mental Health Symptoms?

Though differences in informant perceptions of family processes are associated with poorer health, few studies have examined discrepancies between father- and adolescent-report of family phenomena and their impact on adolescent mental health. This study examined how father and adolescent-reported parenting and the differences in their perceptions is related to adolescent mental health. Participants were 326 father-adolescent dyads (Fathers: Mage = 41.2; Adolescents: 7th grade students, Mage = 12.0, 48.5% female). Overall, analyses revealed significant main effects of father and/or adolescent report of father-adolescent conflict and harsh parenting on adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Analyses revealed two instances in which discrepancies between father- and adolescent-report of family phenomena was related to adolescent mental health. Given the mixed nature of the findings based on the outcome reporter, the current study discusses implications for discrepancy research and future directions to better understand discrepant perceptions as useful information on their own. The parent clinical trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03125291, Registration date: 4/13/2017).

Effects of a preventive parenting intervention for bereaved families on the intergenerational transmission of parenting attitudes: Mediating processes.

This study evaluated whether the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), a prevention program for parentally bereaved families, improved parenting attitudes toward parental warmth and physical punishment in young adult offspring 15 years after participation and identified mediational cascade pathways. One hundred fifty-six parents and their 244 offspring participated. Data were collected at pretest (ages 8-16), posttest, and six- and 15-year follow-ups. Ethnicity of offspring was: 67% non-Hispanic Caucasian, 16% Hispanic, 7% African American, 3% Native American, 1% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 6% other; 54% were males. There was a direct effect of the FBP on attitudes toward physical punishment; offspring in the FBP had less favorable attitudes toward physical punishment. There were also indirect effects of the FBP on parenting attitudes. The results supported a cascade effects model in which intervention-induced improvements in parental warmth led to fewer externalizing problems in adolescence/emerging adulthood, which in turn led to less favorable attitudes toward physical punishment. In addition, intervention-induced improvements in parental warmth led to improvements in anxious romantic attachment in mid-to-late adolescence/emerging adulthood, which led to more favorable attitudes toward parental warmth in emerging/young adulthood. These findings suggest that the effects of relatively brief prevention programs may persist into subsequent generations.

The role of early intervention for adolescent mental health and polydrug use: Cascading mediation through childhood growth in the general psychopathology (p) factor.

This study is a secondary data analysis that extends knowledge about the effects of the early childhood Family Check-Up (FCU) intervention to trajectories of general psychopathology problems (p factor) across early and middle childhood, and effects on adolescent psychopathology and polydrug use. The Early Steps Multisite study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00538252) is a randomized controlled trial of the FCU and consists of a large, racially and ethnically diverse sample of children who grew up in low-income households in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Eugene, Oregon; and Charlottesville, Virginia (n = 731; 49% female; 27.6% African American, 46.7% European American, 13.3% Hispanic/Latinx). To represent a comorbid presentation of internalizing and externalizing problems, we fit a bifactor model that included a general psychopathology (p) factor at eight ages in early childhood (ages 2-4), middle childhood (ages 7.5-10.5), and adolescence (age 14). Latent growth curve modeling was conducted to examine trajectories of the p factor across ages within the developmental periods of early and middle childhood. The effects of FCU on the reductions in growth in the childhood p factor had cascading effects on adolescent p factor (i.e., within-domain effect) and polydrug use (i.e., across-domain effect). Findings underscore the utility of the early FCU in preventing a host of maladaptive adolescent outcomes across diverse settings and populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Developmental Pathways of the Family Bereavement Program to Prevent Major Depression 15 Years Later.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the developmental pathways through which the Family Bereavement Program (FBP) reduces major depression and generalized anxiety disorder 15 years later. METHOD: A randomized trial of the FBP included 5 assessments, at pretest, posttest (98% retention), and follow-ups at 11 months (90% retention), 6 years (89% retention), and 15 years (80% retention) following the program. Participants included 244 children and adolescents (from 156 families) 8 to 16 years of age who were randomly assigned to the FBP (135 children/adolescents, 90 families), a 12-session program that included a caregiver component and a child/adolescent component or a literature comparison condition (109 children/adolescents, 66 families). In-home interviews assessed mediators directly targeted for change at post-test and 11 months (eg, parenting and coping); 6-year theoretical mediators (ie, internalizing problems, aversive views of the self) and 15-year children's/adolescents' major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Data analysis tested 3 path mediation models in which FBP effects at post-test and 11 months led to effects on 6-year theoretical mediators, which in turn lad to reductions in major depression and generalized anxiety disorder at 15 years. RESULTS: The FBP had a significant effect on reducing the prevalence of major depression (odds ratio = 0.332, p < .01) at 15 years. Significant 3-path mediation models found that multiple variables that were targeted by the caregiver and child components of the FBP at post-test and 11 months mediated FBP effects on depression at 15 years through their impact on aversive self-views and internalizing problems at 6 years. CONCLUSION: The findings support the 15-year impact of the Family Bereavement Program on major depression and for maintaining components of the FBP that affect aspects of parenting and children's coping, grief, and self-regulation as the program is disseminated. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: 6-Year Follow-up of a Prevention Program for Bereaved Families; https://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT01008189. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT: We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group.

Innovative theory and methods for the next generation of diversity, equity, and inclusion sciences: Introduction to the special issue.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion sciences were invigorated by Plaut's (2010) landmark publication "Diversity science: Why and how difference makes a difference." As this field has expanded over the last decade, it is timely to reflect on its current state and future directions. The goal of this special issue is to bring together a collection of articles that advance innovative theory and methods for the next generation of diversity, equity, and inclusion sciences. The articles in this special issue cover cutting-edge themes, such as critical research methods for liberation, healing, and reconciliation; advancing intersectional theory and methods; innovative theory and methods on individual-social dynamics; promoting equity and advancing research on culture, ethnicity, and race; and new approaches to measuring and overcoming racism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Reducing suicide risk in parentally bereaved youth through promoting effective parenting: testing a developmental cascade model.

Children who experience parental death are at increased risk for suicide. The Family Bereavement Program (FBP) is an upstream preventive intervention for parentally bereaved families that was found to reduce suicide risk in parentally bereaved youth up to 6 and 15 years later. We tested whether FBP-induced improvements in effective parenting led to changes in multiple proximal factors that prior theory and research implicated in the cascading pathway to suicide risk, namely, aversive self-views, caregiver connectedness, peer connectedness, complicated grief, depressive symptoms, and emotion suppression. The sample was 244 bereaved youth and their surviving caregiver from 156 families. Families were randomized into the FBP (12 group-based sessions for parents, youth, and two joint sessions) or a literature control condition. Multimethod and multiinformant data were collected at baseline, posttest, 6-year and 15-year follow-up assessments. Results showed that program-induced improvements in effective parenting at posttest were associated with reduced aversive self-views and increased caregiver connectedness at the 6-year follow-up, and each mediator was in turn associated with reduced suicide risk at the 6- and 15-year follow-up. The mediated pathways via aversive self-views remained significant while controlling for caregiver connectedness. Self-related concepts may be important targets in upstream suicide prevention for at-risk youth.

Dispositional Active Coping Predicts Patterns of Adolescents' Cortisol Responsivity in the Context of School-related Stressors.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to examine the direct and conditional effects of active coping and prior exposure to school-related stressors on cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to an academically salient, social stress task. METHOD: Participants included N= 758 adolescents (50% male; M age = 12.03 years, SD = .49) enrolled in the 7th grade in Title 1 middle schools. Adolescents were predominantly ethnic minorities (62% Hispanic, 12% non-Hispanic White, 11% non-Hispanic Black, 7% Native American, and 8% "other"). Youth completed self-reported assessments of their dispositional use of active coping strategies, prior exposure to school hassles, pubertal status, medication use, and relevant demographic information. In addition, youth engaged in an academically salient group public speaking task adapted for adolescents and provided salivary cortisol sample pre-task, immediately post-task, 15-, and 30-minutes post-task. RESULTS: Results from piecewise latent growth curve modeling revealed that active coping independently predicted lower cortisol reactivity to the stress task. Furthermore, active coping was associated with slower cortisol recovery when adolescents reported not having experienced any school hassles in the past three months and faster recovery when having experienced several school hassles in the past three months. Results from multinomial logistic regressions revealed that greater use of active coping strategies was less likely to predict a hyper-reactive pattern of cortisol responding compared to other patterns. CONCLUSION: Findings provide support for active coping as a way to promote adaptive physiological responding to school-related stressors among ethnically diverse youth residing in low-income communities.

Measurement and Functional Equivalence of a Reduced Version of the UPPS Impulsivity Scale Among Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents.

The current study aimed to assess the measurement equivalence and functional equivalence of the UPPS (Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking) Impulsivity Scale among three ethnoracial adolescent samples in the U.S. seventh-grade students who self-identified as Hispanic (n = 472), non-Hispanic Black (n = 89), or non-Hispanic White (n = 90), and completed an English-language version of the Child version of the UPPS, which was shortened and modified to include positive urgency items. Through a series of confirmatory factor analyses, the UPPS demonstrated configural, metric, and partial threshold invariance. Fisher's r-to-z transformations were used to assess the functional equivalence of the UPPS against well-validated measures of self-regulation and mental health commonly associated with impulsivity. We found some group differences in the magnitude of associations. Yet, overall, this study provides evidence that the UPPS can be used to measure distinct factors of impulsivity among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White adolescents.

Life stress, insomnia, and anxiety/depressive symptoms in adolescents: A three-wave longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: Life stress has negative impacts on sleep and mental health. Little empirical work has investigated the associations between life stress, insomnia, and anxiety/depressive symptoms (ADS) in multi-wave longitudinal studies. This longitudinal study examined these associations in a large sample of adolescents. METHODS: A total of 6995 adolescents (mean age = 14.86 years, 51.4 % male) participated in a 3-wave longitudinal study of behavior and health in Shandong, China. Standardized rating scales were used to assess life stress, insomnia, and ADS in 2015 (T1), 1 year later (T2), and 2 years later (T3). Three-wave longitudinal panel models were conducted to examine the prospective relationships between life stress, insomnia, and ADS. RESULTS: The prevalence and persistence rates of insomnia and ADS across T1-T3 significantly increased with elevated life stress score (p < .001). Cross-lagged panel analysis showed that life stress, insomnia, and ADS at a later time point were significantly predicted by the same variable at earlier time points (all p < .01). Life stress, insomnia, and ADS significantly predicted each other bidirectionally over time (all p < .01). The relationship between life stress and ADS was partially mediated by insomnia. The relationship between life stress and insomnia was partially mediated by ADS. STUDY LIMITATION: Life stress, insomnia, and ADS were all self-reports. CONCLUSIONS: Life stress, insomnia, and ADS are prospectively bidirectionally related to one another. Insomnia was a mediator of life stress and subsequent ADS and vice versa. These findings underscore the importance of sleep and mental health assessment and intervention in adolescents following life stress.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of Adding an Evidence-Based Parent/Caregiver Program for Bereaved Families to Usual Community-Based Services.

This paper briefly describes the development of the Resilient Parenting for Bereaved Families program (RPBF) and presents an evaluation of adding the RPBF to usual care (UC) provided by community agencies supporting families of bereaved children. The RPBF was adapted from the caregiver component of a family program that demonstrated significant benefits for parentally children and their parents in a randomized controlled trial. The current study found that the implementation of the RPBF program was feasible for implementation by community providers and was highly acceptable to caregivers. Subgroups of caregivers (n = 44) who received the RPBF in addition to UC (i.e., child groups and caregiver support groups) reported greater improvement in quality of parenting and complicated grief and reductions in children's behavior problems as compared with caregivers (n = 30) who received UC only. Improvement in parenting mediated the RPBF program's effect to reduce children's behavior problems.

U.S. Mexican-origin young adults' mental health relative to interpersonal stressor transitions from childhood to adolescence.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe latent transitions in developmentally and culturally salient interpersonal stressors from late childhood to late adolescence and examine whether different transition patterns predicted early adult mental health problems. METHOD: Data from four waves (Grades 5, 7, 10, 12) of a study of 749 U.S. Mexican-origin youth were used for a latent transition analysis (LTA) of family, peer, and community stressors; distal outcomes of externalizing and internalizing problems were measured 5 years after Grade 12. Latent class analysis (LCA) and LTA were conducted for investigating underlying subgroups of interpersonal stress at each wave and transitions between subtypes over waves. RESULTS: For the LCA, two latent classes emerged at all four waves, representing low and high interpersonal stress. The LTA model with two classes at all waves was conducted with good fit. Six prominent transition classes emerged and related to young adult internalizing and externalizing problems. Transition class related to young adult internalizing and externalizing problems, such that youth who consistently had exposure to interpersonal stress or who had transitions from low to high exposure had more internalizing and externalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are discussed relative to the developmental salience of these transitions and opportunities to intervene during adolescence to mitigate later mental health problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Caregivers' Self-Compassion and Bereaved Children's Adjustment: Testing Caregivers' Mental Health and Parenting as Mediators.

Objectives: Self-compassion, which involves mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity, has been found to be related to individuals' mental health. Few studies have examined caregivers' self-compassion in relation to parenting behaviors and child adjustment in addition to its relation to their own mental health. In the current study we examined caregivers' self-compassion as a protective factor related to parentally bereaved children's internalizing and externalizing problems and further tested whether these relations were mediated by caregivers' mental health (complicated grief and psychological distress) and parenting. Methods: The sample consisted of 74 caregivers (female = 78.4%) who participated in a larger study designed for bereaved families. At T1 (baseline) and T2 (20 weeks later), caregivers completed measures on demographic information, self-compassion, complicated grief, parental warmth, and consistent discipline, as well as child internalizing and externalizing problems. Results: Findings supported that caregivers' self-compassion was prospectively related to decreased internalizing and externalizing problems in bereaved children. Mediation analyses showed that the effect of self-compassion on externalizing problems was mediated by parental warmth and by consistent discipline. In addition, caregivers' self-compassion was prospectively associated with decreased complicated grief and psychological distress of the caregiver. Conclusions: These findings add to the knowledge on the benefits of self-compassion for bereaved families and suggest that caregivers' self-compassion intervention may be a leveraging point to protect both bereaved caregivers from complicated grief and distress but also to strengthen parenting which leads to bereaved children's adjustment.

Predictors of Caregiver Participation in an Engagement Strategy to Increase Initiation into a Family-Based Preventive Intervention.

Previous studies have shown that engagement strategies can help increase enrollment and initiation of families in evidence-based preventive programs under natural service delivery settings. However, little is known about factors that predict completion of these engagement strategies. This study aimed to examine predictors (i.e., perceived need, perceived barriers, and sociocultural context) of caregiver participation in an evidence-based engagement call strategy. This call was expected to increase initiation into a school-based, family-focused prevention program. In addition, this study examined engagement call completion as a predictor of program initiation among already enrolled families. Participants included ethnically diverse families recruited from three Title I schools (n = 413) who were randomized to receive the prevention program. Results showed that interparental conflict-an indicator of perceived need-was associated with an increased likelihood of completing the engagement call. Furthermore, caregivers from low-socioeconomic status (SES), foreign-born, Spanish-speaking, Hispanic families were more likely to complete the call relative to those from low- and mid-SES, US born, English-speaking, ethnically diverse families. Importantly, engagement call completion was associated with an increased likelihood of program initiation. These findings provide limited support that families with higher perceived needs are more likely to participate in an evidence-based engagement call strategy. Results suggested that the call strategy provides a promising way to reduce attrition from family prevention programs, which is commonly observed between enrollment and initiation. Project Number: R01 DA035855; Date of Registration: 06/15/2014.

Developmental cascade effects of a parenting-focused program for divorced families on competence in emerging adulthood.

This 15-year longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of a parenting-focused preventive intervention for divorced families examined cascade models of program effects on offsprings' competence. It was hypothesized that intervention-induced improvements in parenting would lead to better academic, work, peer, and romantic competence in emerging adulthood through effects on behavior problems and competencies during adolescence. Families (N = 240) participated in the 11-session program or literature control condition when children were ages 9-12. Data were drawn from assessments at pretest, posttest, and follow-ups at 3 and 6 months and 6 and 15 years. Results showed that initial intervention effects of parenting on externalizing problems in adolescence cascaded to work outcomes in adulthood. Parenting effects also directly impacted work success. For work outcomes and peer competence, intervention effects were moderated by initial risk level; the program had greater effects on youths with higher risk at program entry. In addition, intervention effects on parenting led to fewer externalizing problems that in turn cascaded to better academic outcomes, which showed continuity into emerging adulthood. Results highlight the potential for intervention effects of the New Beginnings Program to cascade over time to affect adult competence in multiple domains, particularly for high-risk youths.

A Population-Level, Randomized Effectiveness Trial of Recruitment Strategies for Parenting Programs in Elementary Schools.

Objective: A population-level, randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effectiveness of a parent recruitment package for increasing initial engagement into a school-based parenting program and to identify strategies responsible for effects.Method: Participants were caregivers of kindergarten- to third-grade students (N = 1,276) attending one of five schools serving ethnically diverse families living in mostly low-income, urban conditions. First, families were randomly assigned to be recruited for research surveys or not, and then to a parenting program recruitment condition: 1) Engagement-as-usual (EAU) informational flyer; 2) EAU + testimonial booklet; 3) EAU + teacher endorsement; 4) EAU + recruitment call; or 5) all strategies (full package). Caregivers were offered a free parenting program at their child's school. Primary dependent variables were parenting program enrollment and attending at least one session (initiation). Exploratory analyses were conducted on program completion, attendance across sessions, homework completion, and in-session participation.Results: In the population-level sample, enrollment and initiation were higher for the full package compared to all other conditions except the recruitment call condition. Enrollment, initiation, and program completion were higher for the recruitment call and full package conditions compared to the EAU condition. In the subsample of initiators, parents in the full package condition attended fewer parenting sessions than in the EAU condition. Controlling for attendance across sessions, there were no condition effects on homework completion or in-session participation.Conclusions: The recruitment call can increase the public health impact of evidence-based parenting programs by improving enrollment, initiation, and program completion.

Depression as a mediator between frequent nightmares and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: a 3-wave longitudinal model.

BACKGROUND: Frequent nightmares and depression are associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents. Little is known about the mediating role of depression in the nightmare-NSSI link. This study explores the longitudinal mediating effect of depression on the relationship between frequent nightmares and NSSI as well as the moderating effect of gender using a three-wave longitudinal design. METHODS: Participants were adolescents from the Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort who were surveyed at baseline, 1 year later, and 2 years later. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure nightmare frequency, depression, and NSSI. Structural equation modeling and multiple-group analysis were used to test the mediating effect of depression and the moderating effect of gender. Covariates included demographics and earlier measures of depression and NSSI. RESULTS: Among 6995 participants, 3399 (48.6%) were females, mean age was 14.86 (SD = 1.50) years at baseline. Frequent nightmares had a significant mediation effect on NSSI through depression (Bab = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.02-0.10) after controlling for demographics and earlier measures of depression and NSSI. Gender had no significant moderating effect on the nightmare-NSSI association. LIMITATIONS: All data were collected by self-report. CONCLUSIONS: The association between frequent nightmares and NSSI in adolescents was partially mediated by depression. Frequent nightmares and depression should be assessed and treated to prevent self-harm in adolescents.

Preventing the Onset of Anxiety Disorders in Offspring of Anxious Parents: A Six-Year Follow-up.

This study examined the effects of a family-based intervention Coping and Promoting Strength (CAPS) relative to a control condition, information-monitoring (IM), to prevent the onset of anxiety disorders in offspring of anxious parents six years after their initial assessment. One hundred thirty six families participated in the original randomized trial; 113 (83%) completed the one time follow-up assessment. Presence of anxiety disorders and severity of symptoms in offspring were assessed by masked evaluators using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule; parents and offspring also completed questionnaires assessing offspring anxiety. Using the intention to treat sample from the original trial, Cox regression models showed significant intervention main effects in the rate of onset of anxiety disorders from baseline to follow-up (anxiety disorder: hazard ratio (HR) = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.54, 4.21) but growth curves suggest effects occurred within the first year after program completion. No group differences were found in the cumulative incidence of anxiety disorders at the six-year follow-up. Additional intervention appears needed to maintain the initial positive effects long-term to reduce the risk for downstream disability.Clinical Trials Registration: NCT00847561.

Dimensions of childhood trauma and their direct and indirect links to PTSD, impaired control over drinking, and alcohol-related-problems.

INTRODUCTION: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after experiencing events that evoke fear, helplessness, or horror. The Hyperarousablity Hypothesis suggests that those with PTSD may drink more to dampen physiological reactivity. We examined the direct and indirect relationships between childhood trauma (e.g., physical-neglect, emotional-abuse, physical-abuse, sexual-abuse) versus an emotionally-supportive-family on PTSD, impaired control over drinking (IC), alcohol-use, and alcohol-related-problems. IC reflects consuming more alcohol than one originally intended. METHODS: We fit a multiple-group SEM to data on 835 participants. Mediational analyses were conducted by using the (K = 20,000) bootstrap technique with confidence intervals. RESULTS: Physical-neglect was directly linked to more IC among both genders. Emotional abuse was also found to be directly linked to more PTSD among both genders. Furthermore, PTSD was directly linked to more impaired control over alcohol use (IC) among both genders. Mediational analyses showed that physical-neglect was indirectly linked to more alcohol-related-problems through increased IC. Having an emotionally supportive family was directly linked to fewer PTSD symptoms among women. For both genders, emotional abuse was indirectly linked to more alcohol-related-problems through more PTSD symptoms, impaired control over alcohol use difficulties, and in turn, more alcohol-use. Sexual abuse was indirectly linked to increased alcohol-related- problems through increased PTSD symptoms and more IC, and in turn, more alcohol-use among men. CONCLUSIONS: Recalled childhood trauma (sexual and emotional abuse) may contribute to PTSD symptoms and dysregulated drinking. In conclusion, our data suggest that reducing PTSD symptoms may assist individuals in regaining control over their drinking.