Antisocial behavior and alcoholism: a behavioral genetic perspective on comorbidity

Area of Science:

• Psychopathology
• Behavioral Genetics
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Antisocial behavior (ASB) and alcohol dependence (AD) frequently co-occur but their relationship is poorly understood.
• Existing research cannot differentiate between various causal models (e.g., ASB causing AD, AD causing ASB, or shared underlying factors).

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce behavior genetic models for investigating the etiology of comorbidity between disorders.
• To provide tools for testing alternative causal models of comorbidity.
• To estimate the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to comorbidity.

Main Methods:

• Application of behavior genetic models.
• Direct testing of alternative etiological models for comorbidity.
• Estimation of genetic and environmental influences.

Main Results:

• Behavior genetic models offer a framework to dissect the complex interplay between ASB and AD.
• These approaches allow for the quantitative estimation of etiological factors contributing to comorbidity.
• The study highlights the utility of behavior genetics in understanding disorder co-occurrence.

Conclusions:

• Behavior genetic models are crucial for understanding the underlying causes of comorbidity in psychopathology.
• These methods can illuminate the specific etiological pathways contributing to the co-occurrence of disorders like ASB and AD.
• Further research employing these technically demanding but insightful approaches is warranted.