Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026
Social Defeat Stress Model for Adolescent C57BL/6 Male and Female Mice
Published on: March 15, 2024
Genetic and environmental influences on substance initiation, use, and problem use in adolescents
Soo Hyun Rhee1, John K Hewitt, Susan E Young
1Department of Psychology and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, 90309, USA. soo.rhee@colorado.edu
Background:
We conducted a sibling/twin/adoption study of substance initiation, use, and problem use, estimating the relative contribution of genetic and environmental influences on these phenotypes in adolescents.
Methods:
The participants were 345 monozygotic twin pairs, 337 dizygotic twin pairs, 306 biological sibling pairs, and 74 adoptive sibling pairs assessed by the Colorado Center for the Genetics and Treatment of Antisocial Drug Dependence, Denver and Boulder. The initiation, use, and problem use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs were assessed. Tetrachoric correlations were computed for each group, and univariate model-fitting analyses were conducted.
Results:
There were moderate to substantial genetic influences, with the exception of alcohol use and any drug use, and modest to moderate shared environmental influences on substance initiation, use, and problem use. For alcohol and any drug, heritability was higher and the magnitude of shared environmental influences was lower for problem use than for initiation or use. Environmental influences shared only by twin pairs had a significant effect on tobacco initiation, alcohol use, and any drug use. For tobacco use, tobacco problem use, and marijuana initiation, heritability was higher and the magnitude of shared environmental influences was lower in female than in male adolescents. There was no evidence for sex-specific genetic or shared environmental influences on any variable.
Conclusions:
The moderate to substantial heritabilities found for adolescents in the present study are comparable to those found in twin studies of adult substance use and substance use disorders. The finding that problem use is more heritable than initiation and use is also consistent with the results of adult twin studies. The significance of environmental influences shared only by twin pairs on tobacco initiation, alcohol use, and any drug use suggests the influences of peers, accessibility of substances, and sibling interaction.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
01:28Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
01:30Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
01:23Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...