Attentional bias for alcohol-related information in adolescents with alcohol-dependent parents

Aims: to assess the attentional bias for alcohol-related information in adolescents with (n = 15), and without (n = 15), a parental history of alcohol dependence. Methods: participants completed questionnaires assessing depression, weekly alcohol consumption, anxiety, and concerns about alcohol consumption and undertook subliminal and supraliminal computerized Stroop tasks using colour-words, alcohol-related words, and control words. Results: adolescents with alcohol-dependent parents showed supraliminal interference for alcohol-related words. The magnitude of this interference was correlated with higher trait and state anxiety, and lower levels of weekly alcohol consumption. No interference was found on the subliminal alcohol Stroop task. Conclusions: while it is likely that this attentional bias for alcohol-related cues reflects the concerns regarding parental drinking, it is also possible that this might underlie the increased risk of future alcohol dependence in the children of alcohol-dependent parents.