Adult offspring of alcoholic women as family history informants.
Eighteen years after their mothers had been hospitalized for alcoholism, adult offspring were asked if any of their 1st-degree relatives had ever had a drinking problem. Proband and informant characteristics that affect the validity of reports of maternal drinking problems given by adult offspring of alcoholic women were identified. A history of alcohol-related medical problems in the mother was associated with reporting maternal alcoholism. Being African-American, having a history of suicide attempts in the mother, and having a good maternal posttreatment outcome were associated with false-negative reports. Adding multiple offspring informants increased sensitivity to 86%. Female alcoholic offspring tended to underreport maternal alcoholism.
Smith
E M
EM
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Przybeck
T R
TR
Bradford
S E
SE
Gogineni
A
A
Spitznagel
E L
EL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology