title: Parental alcoholism: an examination of male and female alcoholics in treatment.
abstract: This study investigated the implications of parental alcoholism in 639 male and female alcoholics who were in treatment. In comparison with persons who did not report a parental history of alcoholism (PA-), the 264 offspring of alcoholics (PA+) were characterized by higher levels of alcohol dependency and alcohol-related consequences, increased reports of use of other drugs and higher levels of MMPI-measured psychopathology. Comparisons of PA+ patients with PA- patients with the same age of onset of problematic alcohol use suggested that PA+ persons are characterized more by an early onset of alcoholism than by a more severe form of the disorder. Results with female PA+ alcoholics were similar to those obtained with their male counterparts, although PA+ women exhibited very high levels of MMPI-measured psychopathology in comparison to both PA+ men and PA- women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Purdue University School of Science, Indianapolis, Indiana 46205.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Svanum
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: McAdoo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors