Objective: To compare rates of psychopathology and academic achievement in
children who were either at high or low risk for developing alcoholism and
to determine whether academic deficits would predict prospectively the pres
ence of psychopathology occurring within the next year. Method: Children an
d adolescents, aged 8 to 18 years, were evaluated as part of a longitudinal
follow-up. Diagnoses obtained by using the Schedule for Affective Disorder
s and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children and grade-equivalent scores fro
m the reading, spelling, and arithmetic sections of the Wide Range Achievem
ent Test were determined at yearly intervals. Results: High-risk off spring
were more likely to have a diagnosable disorder. In addition, analyses usi
ng the mother's and father's diagnosis of alcoholism as a covariate showed
higher hazard ratios for selected disorders (depression, affective disorder
, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder), some of
which were gender-dependent. Logistic regression analysis of achievement te
st scores demonstrated that reading and math scores predicted the presence
of childhood psychopathology at the following annual evaluation. Conclusion
s: Children from pedigrees with a high density of alcoholism are at greater
risk for developing psychopathology, Furthermore, observed deficits in aca
demic performance may be considered an indicator of a developing diagnosabl
e illness.