title: Clinical features of depressed patients with or without a family history of alcoholism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare clinical features of depressed subjects without alcoholism but with a family history of alcoholism to a depressed group without alcoholism and without a family history of alcoholism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and demographic data of 209 depressed subjects without a history of alcoholism in first-degree relatives and 73 depressed individuals with a history of alcoholism in first-degree relatives were compared. Subjects with a personal history of alcoholism were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depressed subjects with a family history of alcoholism have a significantly higher prevalence of reported childhood physical and sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), make more suicide attempts, and have greater intent to die at the time of their most lethal suicide attempt, compared to depressed subjects without a family history of alcoholism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depressed patients with a family history of alcoholism are at greater risk for suicidal behavior and PTSD and may require more careful management.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. ls2003@columbia.edu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oquendo
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Conason
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Brent
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Grunebaum
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zalsman
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology; D013405:Suicide