Exposure to childhood maltreatment is a significant risk factor for the development and persistence of problematic alcohol use. The present study examined the role of risk taking and inhibitory control, key cognitive processes believed to govern behavioral regulation, as mechanisms that underlie the association between childhood maltreatment and the early stages of alcohol use. A sample of 129 maltreated adolescents and 102 socioeconomic status–matched, nonmaltreated adolescents and their parents completed three annual assessments, including computer-administered tasks and adolescent- and parent-report questionnaires, across ages 12–13 through 14–15 years. Childhood maltreatment was not directly associated with alcohol use in middle adolescence but was significantly associated with deficits in inhibitory control in early adolescence, which, in turn, led to significantly increased alcohol use in middle adolescence. Indeed, decreased inhibitory control was significant as a mediator, highlighting the salient role of this cognitive process in the early stages of alcohol use among maltreated adolescents.

童年时期遭受虐待是导致酗酒问题发生和持续存在的一个重要风险因素。本研究探讨了冒险和抑制控制的作用，这两种被认为控制行为调节的关键认知过程，作为儿童虐待与早期酗酒之间关联的机制。 129 名遭受虐待的青少年和 102 名社会经济地位匹配、未受虐待的青少年及其父母组成的样本完成了三项年度评估，包括计算机管理的任务以及青少年和家长报告问卷，年龄跨度为 12-13 岁到 14-15 岁。童年虐待与青春期中期的饮酒没有直接关系，但与青春期早期的抑制控制缺陷显着相关，而这反过来又导致青春期中期的酒精使用显着增加。事实上，抑制控制的减少作为中介因素具有重要意义，突显了这种认知过程在受虐待青少年饮酒的早期阶段的显着作用。