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Abstract
The relations between depressive symptoms and alcohol use among maltreated youth have been well documented. Two contrasting theories about the mechanisms underlying these relations have received extensive support: the self-medication and impaired-functioning hypotheses. The present study proposed to reconcile these theoretical and empirical inconsistencies using a developmental approach. Specifically, an integrative conceptualization, the bidirectional hypothesis, was advanced, which used developmental timing to explain the longitudinal associations between maltreated youths alcohol use and depressive symptoms. In addition, this investigation examined the role of parental alcohol problems in the etiology of maltreated youths alcohol use and depressive symptoms. Data of 657 youth were drawn from NSCAW II, a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of maltreated youth. Findings supported the impaired-functioning hypothesis during early-adolescence, and corroborated the self-medication hypothesis during mid- to late-adolescence, thus supporting the bidirectional hypothesis. Lastly, increased youth depressive symptoms mediated the link between parental alcohol problems and youths alcohol use.