The Influence of Parental Bonding on Alcohol Use and Loneliness

The bond an individual had with their caregivers in childhood can influence their mental health in adulthood. A body of literature suggests that parental bonding is believed to have significant influence on the possible development of various psychopathologies, such as alcohol use and loneliness. This study examined the influence of parental bonding on alcohol use and loneliness. The participants of this study were part of the longitudinal NESDA study (N = 1685). Parental bonding, specifically care and overprotection, was measured with the parental bonding instrument (PBI). Two mediation analyses were run: parental care and overprotection were expected to predict alcohol use, mediated by loneliness. To control for confounders, depression and anxiety symptoms were included as covariates. The results demonstrated that both low parental care and high overprotection predict loneliness. However, loneliness was not associated with alcohol use and did not mediate the relationship between...Show moreThe bond an individual had with their caregivers in childhood can influence their mental health in adulthood. A body of literature suggests that parental bonding is believed to have significant influence on the possible development of various psychopathologies, such as alcohol use and loneliness. This study examined the influence of parental bonding on alcohol use and loneliness. The participants of this study were part of the longitudinal NESDA study (N = 1685). Parental bonding, specifically care and overprotection, was measured with the parental bonding instrument (PBI). Two mediation analyses were run: parental care and overprotection were expected to predict alcohol use, mediated by loneliness. To control for confounders, depression and anxiety symptoms were included as covariates. The results demonstrated that both low parental care and high overprotection predict loneliness. However, loneliness was not associated with alcohol use and did not mediate the relationship between parental bonding and alcohol consumption. Surprisingly, low overprotection was associated with higher alcohol use. Meanwhile, parental care was not significantly related to alcohol consumption. This study offers new insights to the relationship between parental bonding and alcohol use. Demonstrating that low parental overprotection does predict alcohol use while parental care does not. Further research should take sociability of participants and gender differences into account.Show less

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The Influence of Parental Bonding on Alcohol Use and Loneliness