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Updated: Aug 2, 2026
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Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice
Published on: January 7, 2019
Familial relationship between mood disorders and alcoholism
M Preisig1, B T Fenton, D E Stevens
1University Department of Adult Psychiatry, Site de Cery, CH-1008 Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
Comprehensive Psychiatry
|March 13, 2001
Summary
Alcoholism and mood disorders aggregate independently in families. Bipolar disorder may precede alcoholism, suggesting self-medication, while nonbipolar depression often follows alcoholism.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Alcohol use disorders frequently co-occur with bipolar and nonbipolar mood disorders.
- The exact nature of the association between these conditions remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine familial patterns of alcohol and affective disorders.
- To investigate the comorbidity and familial aggregation of alcohol and mood disorders.
Main Methods:
- Controlled family study.
- Inclusion of probands with alcohol and anxiety disorders from treatment and community settings.
Main Results:
- Alcoholism showed association with bipolar and nonbipolar mood disorders in relatives.
- Strong familial aggregation observed for alcohol dependence and both mood disorder types.
- No evidence of cross-aggregation between alcoholism and mood disorders.
Conclusions:
- Independent familial aggregation suggests bipolar disorder and alcoholism may co-occur via self-medication, with bipolar disorder often preceding alcoholism.
- Earlier onset of alcoholism than nonbipolar depression suggests unipolar mood disorders may be secondary to alcoholism.
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