HETEROGENEITY IN THE FAMILIES OF SONS OF ALCOHOLICS - THE IMPACT OF FAMILIAL VULNERABILITY TYPE ON OFFSPRING CHARACTERISTICS

In 2 samples of sons of alcoholics (family history positive for alcoho lism; FHP: N = 74 & N = 72), cluster analyses identified 3 subtypes of familial vulnerability: 1 with low levels of familial psychopathology (FHP-LP) and moderate levels of familial alcoholism; a 2nd with high levels of familial antisocial personality (FHP-ASP), violence, and alc oholism; and a 3rd with high levels of familial depression (FHP-DEP), mania, anxiety disorder, and alcoholism. Compared with family history negative (FHN) participants (N = 106), FHP offspring had higher levels of alcohol problems. FHP-ASP offspring had elevated levels of antisoc ial traits and negative affect. Compared with FHN participants, FHP-DE P offspring elevated levels of antisocial traits, hypomania, and exper ience seeking. FHP-LP offspring had moderate levels of antisocial trai ts.