Parents Still Matter: The Role of Parental Attachment in Risky Drinking among College Students

Abstract

This study longitudinally assessed the effects of parental attachment on alcohol-related risks across the first year of college. Greater attachment to mother was associated with lower alcohol risk while weaker attachment to mother was related to more drinking and consequences near the end of the first year, even when controlling for baseline drinking. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationship between attachment and consequences such that first-year men with weaker attachment reported experiencing more consequences than females or males with stronger attachment. Findings highlight the role of parental attachment in reducing risk and identify first-year males with low maternal attachment as a potential high-risk group.

KEYWORDS:

• alcohol use
• attachment
• college students
• gender

Acknowledgments

Support for this research was provided by grant Q184H070017 from the US Department of Education

Notes

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