Lack of association between parental alcohol or drug addiction and behavioral inhibition in children.
OBJECTIVE
"Behavioral inhibition to the unfamiliar" has been proposed as a precursor to anxiety. A recent study proposed that it may also be a precursor to alcoholism. The authors sought to replicate the latter finding through a secondary analysis of data from a large study of young children (age 2-6 years)-offspring of parents with panic and depressive disorders-who had been assessed for behavioral inhibition through laboratory-based observations.


METHODS
The offspring were stratified on the basis of presence or absence of parental lifetime history of DSM-III-R alcohol dependence (N=115 versus N=166, respectively) or drug dependence (N=78 versus N=203). The rates of behavioral inhibition were then compared between groups.


RESULTS
Despite adequate power to detect associations, neither parental alcohol dependence nor drug dependence was associated with a higher risk for behavioral inhibition in the offspring.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are not consistent with the hypothesis linking behavioral inhibition to addictions.
Biederman
J
J
Department of Psychiatry Unit of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, 02114, USA.
Hirshfeld-Becker
D R
DR
Rosenbaum
J F
JF
Perenick
S G
SG
Wood
J
J
Faraone
S V
SV
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012919:Social Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013694:Temperament / Q000145:classification*