title: Trajectories of psychological distress among Canadian adults who experienced parental addiction in childhood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood experiences can influence mental health in adulthood. Parental addiction is a relatively common adverse experience in childhood. However, understanding of the relationship between parental addiction and levels of distress over the adult life course is incomplete.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are from the National Population Health Survey longitudinal file (1994/1995 to 2010/2011). Sex-specific trajectories of psychological distress in relation to exposure to parental addiction in childhood were examined among Canadian adults from ages 18 to 74.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychological distress levels decreased with age, but were consistently higher throughout the life course among individuals who experienced parental addiction in childhood, compared with those who did not. The gap in psychological distress scores by parental addiction status was wide in young adulthood, but narrowed as individuals aged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to parental addiction in childhood can be associated with psychological distress well into adulthood, but levels decrease over time.
authors.affiliation: Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6. kellie.langlois@statcan.gc.ca
authors.forename: Kellie A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Langlois
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D010290:Parents; D013315:Stress, Psychological
keywords: alcohol abuse; child abuse; child of impaired parents; longitudinal studies; parenting; social problems