PERSONALITY ANTECEDENTS OF ALCOHOLISM IN A NATIONAL AREA PROBABILITY SAMPLE

Kraepelin viewed alcoholism as a symptom complex caused by heritable i ndividual differences in emotional predisposition and volitional contr ol. Recent clinical and genetic research has distinguished subtypes of alcoholics with different personality traits, symptoms, course, mode of inheritance, and response to treatment. The heritable personality t raits that influence the initiation, continuation, and severity of alc oholism were examined by interview of a national area probability samp le of 1019 non-institutionalized adults across the continental United States of America. We found that harm avoidance inhibits the initiatio n and frequency of drinking, but increases the risk of developing prob lems once frequent drinking has begun. Novelty seeking increases the i nitiation of drinking and the probabilities of frequent and problem dr inking. This supports Kraepelin's description of the etiology and cour se of alcoholism as a symptom complex related to individual difference s in emotional predisposition.