PATERNAL LINEAGE OF ALCOHOLISM, COHORT EFFECTS, AND ALCOHOLISM CRITERIA

Adoption studies have led to the suggestion that there may be two dist inct subgroups of alcoholics with differing genetic contributions. Amo ng 249 male alcoholics we used discriminant analysis to relate the fea tures of type 1 and type 2 alcoholism to the presence or absence of a family history of alcoholism in male paternal relatives. We found that guilt and binging, features usually attributed to type 1 (milieu-limi ted) alcoholism, were in fact more prevalent in the family history pos itive group. An additional cohort analysis found cohort-related variat ions in type 1/type 2 characteristics. The possible implications of th ese findings are discussed.