Adverse Childhood Experiences and Binge Drinking in Adolescence: the Role of Impulsivity and PTSD Symptoms

Background The present study examines impulsivity and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as factors that may help understand the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent binge drinking.Methods Data were drawn from a subset of adolescents (N = 285) ages 12-22 from the National Consortium on Alcohol & Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA). Impulsivity and PTSD symptoms were each predicted to moderate the relationship between ACEs and binge drinking.Results The positive relationship between PTSD symptoms and binge drinking was stronger when impulsivity was included. The positive relationship between ACEs and binge drinking was also strengthened when accounting for PTSD symptoms.Conclusion Our results provide evidence that impulsivity and PTSD symptoms may increase the risk for binge drinking during adolescence, including following ACEs. Interventions targeting PTSD symptoms and impulsivity could be valuable tools in preventing adolescent binge drinking.