The purpose of this report was to examine the current literature on genetics and alcoholism and so determine the relative contribution of genetics to the condition. The rationale for the report was based on the fact that alcoholism is a serious condition with negative psychosocial consequences affecting millions of Americans in both direct and indirect ways.
The methods used to compile the report consisted of database searchers to select relevant articles for review.
The database search revealed that the majority of genetic studies of alcoholism involve examination of family members, twin studies, adoptee studies, and research looking for biogenic markers. Taken as a whole, these studies clearly showed that genetics makes a substantial contribution to the development of alcoholism. However, there are also indications that alcoholism is not a homogeneous but a heterogeneous phenomena with a variety of subtypes. The literature appears to support the notion that some subtypes are more affected by genetics than are others.
What is the relative magnitude of genetics to the development of alcoholism? The purpose of this report is to answer this question by examining the current literature on the tendency of alcoholism to be passed from generation to generation with and without environmental contribution.
Determining the genetic components of alcoholism is important for several reasons. First, between 10 and 15 million Americans suffer from serious mental and physical disorders directly related to alcohol intake; moreover, about 35 million others (friends, family members, children, co-workers, employers, etc.) are indirectly affected (Sue, Sue & Sue, 1994). Further, alcoholism has been related to a number of other addictive behaviors such as cocaine addiction (Holloway, 1991; Miller, Szczucki, Gibbons & Kakuma, 1993).
Also, alcoholism and the related conditions it causes is believed to be responsible for almost ...