Parental Drinking Boosts Alcoholism Risk for ADHD Kids

Association is partly explained by family stresses, studies find.

Children with ADHD are at increased risk for alcohol problems, and parental alcoholism and stressful family experiences are important factors in that risk, two new studies suggest.

"Children with ADHD are believed to be at risk for alcoholism because of their impulsivity and distractibility, as well as other problems that often accompany ADHD, such as school failure and behavior problems," Brooke Molina, an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a prepared statement.

Molina is corresponding author for both studies, which are published in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

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