Recognition of maternal alcoholism as a risk factor for mental illness
in adult offspring is important. Using the Diagnostic Interview Sched
ule (DIS), adult offspring of a clinical sample of alcoholic mothers w
ere assessed for selected lifetime psychiatric disorders. Elevated adj
usted odds ratio (OR) of alcohol abuse/dependence (OR 6.18, 95% confid
ence interval (CI) 2.0-19.02), and drug abuse/dependence (OR 3.75, 95%
CI 1.13-12.34) were observed for daughters of alcoholic mothers compa
red with a group of women who reported no history of alcoholism in the
ir parents. Prevalence rates of alcohol abuse/dependence, drug abuse/d
ependence, affective disorders, general anxiety disorder, panic disord
er and schizophrenia were higher in sons of alcoholic mothers than in
a male comparison sample who reported no history of parental alcoholis
m, however, these increases were not statistically significant.