Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Stress has been implicated in the development of alcoholism, possibly as a consequence of maladaptive coping behavior. Lifetime rates of alcohol dependence disorder, as defined in DSM-IV, and lifetime exposure to adversities from a 41-item checklist are reported in a representative community sample of 1803 young adults (93 percent aged 19-21) in South Florida. Rates of stress exposure were dramatically higher among African Americans than Cubans, other Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites. Paradoxically, non-Hispanic whites had by far the highest rate of alcohol dependence, while the African American rate was distinctly low. The relationship between lifetime exposure to adverse experiences and alcohol addiction was tested using a more comprehensive assessment of stressful experiences than prior studies. Event history analysis revealed significant independent effects of distal and proximal stress exposure on the risk for onset of alcohol dependence. Despite the strong cumulative impact of lifetime stress exposure on such risk, this factor cannot assist in the understanding of the ethnic group difference in rates of alcoholism.