ETHNIC-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN VULNERABILITY TO PARENTAL ALCOHOLISM AND LIFE STRESS - A STUDY OF HISPANIC AND NON-HISPANIC CAUCASIAN ADOLESCENTS

Tested Hispanic and Caucasian adolescents' vulnerability to parental a lcoholism and life stress. Sixty-nine Hispanic and 237 Caucasian adole scents completed measures of life stress, social support, and alcohol use. Their parents reported on the adolescents' psychological symptoms and their own alcohol and substance use. Parental alcoholism and life stress were related to almost all indicators of adolescents' psycholo gical distress and alcohol use. In addition, results showed some evide nce that Caucasian adolescents were more vulnerable to the effects of life stress and parental alcoholism than Hispanics. Neither social sup port nor the higher substance use of Caucasian parents provided a good explanation for this differential vulnerability.