Clinical features of depressed patients with or without a family history of alcoholism.
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.
Sher
L
L
Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA. ls2003@columbia.edu
Oquendo
M A
MA
Conason
A H
AH
Brent
D A
DA
Grunebaum
M F
MF
Zalsman
G
G
Burke
A K
AK
Mann
J J
JJ
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