THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALCOHOLIC SUBTYPES - RISK VARIATION AMONG ALCOHOLIC FAMILIES DURING THE EARLY-CHILDHOOD YEARS

Lifetime differences in antisocial behavior among alcoholic men histor ically have been useful in distinguishing alcoholic subtypes. However, the usefulness of this subtyping strategy for identifying differences in families that may put offspring at risk for developing later alcoh olism has not been previously documented. Findings from a prospective study on the development of vulnerability for alcoholism among (initia lly) preschool-age children showed that children from families with an tisocial alcoholism differ on a number of indicators of child risk, in cluding measures of risky temperament, externalizing behavior problems , and hyperactivity. Risk differences among children from these family subtypes appear to be sustained into middle childhood. Differences be tween nonantisocial alcoholic families and nonalcoholic control famili es were less distinguishable in both early and middle childhood.