PERSONALITY-CHARACTERISTICS OF DEPRESSED OR ALCOHOLIC ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS

G. Winokur (1987, Family (genetic) studies in neurotic depression. Jou rnal of Psychiatric Research, 21, 357-363) suggested that in an alcoho lic family, alcohol abuse and depression among adult children of alcoh olics (ACOAs) may be two ways of expressing the same propensity. It wa s hypothesised that Winokur's ''Propensity'' could be characterised as a construct of personality variables, specifically low self-esteem, h igh neuroticism, and high psychoticism. This study examined Winokur's hypothesis using 982 male and female participants (18-64 yr of age) of a general population survey in an attempt to identify the commonaliti es connecting alcoholic and depressed ACOAs. ACOAs were found to have significantly different personality scores than adults from non-alcoho lic families (non-ACOAs), and alcoholic ACOAs shared similar scores wi th depressed ACOAs on all three personality variables. No differences were seen between alcoholic and depressed participants across family h istory groups. It would appear from these data that ACOAs can be diffe rentiated from non-ACOAs at least by their low self-esteem, high neuro ticism, and high psychoticism, and that alcoholism and depression are two ways that ACOAs can manifest these traits. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd.