This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (337)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Donald W. Goodwin, MD; Fini Schulsinger, MD; Niels Møller, MD; Leif Hermansen, MD; George Winokur, MD; Samuel B. Guze, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1974;31(2):164-169.

Abstract
Sons of alcoholic parentage, adopted in infancy, were compared with their brothers who were raised by the alcoholic parent. Both the adopted and nonadopted sons had high rates of alcoholism (25% and 17%, respectively), but the difference was not statistically significant. The two groups also had comparable frequency of alcohol problems. The nonadopted sons differed from the adopted sons in age (older) and belonging to a lower socioeconomic class.

Length of exposure to the alcoholic parent was not associated with the development of alcoholism. However, severity of the parent's alcoholism, as inferred by number of hospitalizations, was positively related to alcoholism in the offspring. The results suggested that environmental factors contributed little, if anything, to the development of alcoholism in sons of severe alcoholics, in this sample.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis (Drs. Goodwin and Guze); and the Psykologisk Institut, Department of Psychiatry, Kommunehospitalet, Copenhagen (Drs. Schulsinger, Hermansen, and Møller). Dr. Winokur is currently with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Feb 28, 1974.

Reprint requests to Washington University, Barnes and Renard Hospitals, 4940 Audubon Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 (Dr. Goodwin).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

The Effect of Parental Alcohol and Drug Disorders on Adolescent Personality
Elkins et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2004;161:670-676.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Breast-Feeding and Alcoholism: The Trotter Hypothesis
Goodwin et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 1999;156:650-652.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Quantitative Trait Loci Involved in Genetic Predisposition to Acute Alcohol Withdrawal in Mice
Buck et al.
J. Neurosci. 1997;17:3946-3955.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Replication of the Stockholm Adoption Study of Alcoholism: Confirmatory Cross-Fostering Analysis
Sigvardsson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1996;53:681-687.
ABSTRACT  

An 8-Year Follow-up of 450 Sons of Alcoholic and Control Subjects
Schuckit and Smith
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1996;53:202-210.
ABSTRACT  

The Electroencephalogram After Alcohol Administration in High-Risk Men and the Development of Alcohol Use Disorders 10 Years Later: Preliminary Findings
Volavka et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1996;53:258-263.
ABSTRACT  

Overlapping Symptoms of Substance Abuse and Learning Handicaps: Implications for Educators
Fox and Forbing
J Learn Disabil 1991;24:24-31.
ABSTRACT  

Population and Pedigree Studies Reveal a Lack of Association Between the Dopamine D2 Receptor Gene and Alcoholism
Bolos et al.
JAMA 1990;264:3156-3160.
ABSTRACT  

A Simultaneous Evaluation of Multiple Markers of Ethanol/Placebo Challenges in Sons of Alcoholics and Controls
Schuckit and Gold
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1988;45:211-216.
ABSTRACT  

Enhanced Thyrotropin Response to Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone in Boys at Risk for Development of Alcoholism: Preliminary Findings
Moss et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1986;43:1137-1142.
ABSTRACT  

A Prospective Study of Young Men at High Risk for Alcoholism: Social and Psychological Characteristics
Schulsinger et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1986;43:755-760.
ABSTRACT  

Genetics and the Risk for Alcoholism
Schuckit
JAMA 1985;254:2614-2617.
ABSTRACT  

Alcoholism and Antisocial Personality: Interrelationships, Genetic and Environmental Factors
Cadoret et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1985;42:161-167.
ABSTRACT  

Alcoholism and Genetics: The Sins of the Fathers
Goodwin
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1985;42:171-174.
ABSTRACT  

Platelet Monoamine Oxidase Activity in Relatives of Alcoholics: Preliminary Study With Matched Control Subjects
Schuckit et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1982;39:137-140.
ABSTRACT  

Inheritance of Alcohol Abuse: Cross-Fostering Analysis of Adopted Men
Cloninger et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1981;38:861-868.
ABSTRACT  

The Alcoholic Family at Home: Patterns of Interaction in Dry, Wet, and Transitional Stages of Alcoholism
Steinglass
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1981;38:578-584.
ABSTRACT  

Studies of Familial and Nonfamilial Alcoholism: I. Demographic Studies
Frances et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1980;37:564-566.
ABSTRACT  

Alcoholism and Heredity: A Review and Hypothesis
Goodwin
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1979;36:57-61.
ABSTRACT  

Some Genetic Aspects of Alcoholism and Criminality: A Population of Adoptees
Bohman
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1978;35:269-276.
ABSTRACT  

Psychopathology in Adopted and Nonadopted Daughters of Alcoholics
Goodwin et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1977;34:1005-1009.
ABSTRACT  

Alcoholism and Depression in Adopted-Out Daughters of Alcoholics
Goodwin et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1977;34:751-755.
ABSTRACT  

Differentiation of Alcoholics: Childhood History of Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Family History, and Drinking Pattern
Tarter et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1977;34:761-768.
ABSTRACT  

Drinking Amid Abundant Illicit Drugs: The Vietnam Case
Goodwin et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1975;32:230-233.
ABSTRACT