Clinical features associated with an increased risk for alcohol use disorders among family members

This study evaluated the risk for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among first-degree relatives depending on whether a specific family member (proband) had an AUD history. For probands with AUD histories, we also evaluated whether certain clinical features were associated with higher rates of AUDs in family members as a means for identifying markers that signify a more familial form of AUD. The proband sample was recruited from high schools in Western Oregon communities at Age 16 and followed longitudinally until Age 30. Structured psychiatric histories of 2,414 first-degree relatives of 732 probands were ascertained when the proband was Age 24. For the full sample, a significant association was observed between proband AUD history and the density (proportion) of first-degree relatives with AUD histories. Univariate analyses indicated that several clinical features among probands with AUD histories were significantly associated with AUD family density. In multivariate analyses, proband AUD episode recurrence and anxiety disorder history features emerged as trend-level or statistically significant unique predictors of AUD family density. One of these features, AUD episode recurrence, demonstrated a significant association with AUD family density once other forms of psychopathology among first-degree relatives were controlled. No evidence of gender moderation of effects was observed. Findings overall indicate that the familial risk for AUDs is related to probands' AUD history status and clinical features they exhibit. (PsycINFO Database Record