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  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Social and Psychological Characteristics

Fini Schulsinger, MD; Joachim Knop, MD; Donald W. Goodwin, MD; Thomas W. Teasdale, MA

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1986;43(8):755-760.

Abstract
• In a prospective longitudinal study of alcoholism, we applied the high-risk method using a Danish birth cohort (9125 consecutive deliveries, 1959 to 1961). From the cohort, 134 sons of alcoholic fathers (high-risk group) and 70 matched controls without parental alcoholism were selected for study. Extensive data were collected in a multidisciplinary etiologic approach. We report the social and psychological characteristics from a "premorbid" assessment when the subjects were 19 to 20 years old. The high-risk group reported more disrupted familial conditions during childhood than the control group. Both groups had a drinking pattern similar to that of the general Danish population at the same age. No alcoholic subjects were found. The high-risk group was characterized by poor verbal ability and impulsive behavior. We plan a follow-up examination of the sample.

Author Affiliations
Ulla Mikkelsen, CandPsych

From the Psykologisk Institut, University Department of Psychiatry, Kommunehospitalet, Copenhagen (Drs Schulsinger and Knop, Mr Teasdale, and Ms Mikkelsen), and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Kansas, Kansas City (Dr Goodwin).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication March 13, 1985.

Reprint requests to Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark (Dr Knop).

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

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Multidisciplinary Approach to Childhood Epilepsy: Exploring the Scientific Rationale and Practical Aspects of Implementation
Goldstein et al.
J Child Neurol 2004;19:362-378.
ABSTRACT  

Behavioral Disinhibition Induced by Tryptophan Depletion in Nonalcoholic Young Men With Multigenerational Family Histories of Paternal Alcoholism
LeMarquand et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 1999;156:1771-1779.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM SEROTONIN AND PERSONALITY AS VARIABLES CONTRIBUTING TO EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN NON-HUMAN PRIMATES
Higley and Bennett
Alcohol Alcohol 1999;34:402-418.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Controlled Family History Study of Prepubertal Major Depressive Disorder
Puig-Antich et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1989;46:406-418.
ABSTRACT