Children and adolescents at risk for substance abuse and psychopathology

A longitudinal, high-risk study of children with an alcoholic parent may identify marker variables and early signs of substance abuse, essential for early intervention and prevention. Childhood assessment of our sample of 474 offspring, including 138 at risk for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder (Comorbid), 227 at risk for psychiatric disorder alone (PD), and 109 children whose parents are diagnosis-free (Dx-Free), revealed greater adjustment problems and family disorganization in the risk groups, but the Comorbid and PD risk groups were generally not discriminable. At follow-up in young adulthood, DSM-III disorders were more common in the risk groups, and substance abuse and antisocial personality were more frequent in the Comorbid risk group.