title: Overlapping genetic and environmental influences among men's alcohol consumption and problems, romantic quality and social support.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol consumption and problems are associated with interpersonal difficulties. We used a twin design to assess in men the degree to which genetic or environmental influences contributed to the covariance between alcohol consumption and problems, romantic quality and social support.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included adult male-male twin pairs (697 monozygotic and 487 dizygotic) for whom there were interview-based data on: alcohol consumption (average monthly alcohol consumption in the past year); alcohol problems (lifetime alcohol dependence symptoms); romantic conflict and warmth; friend problems and support; and relative problems and support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Key findings were that genetic and unique environmental factors contributed to the covariance between alcohol consumption and romantic conflict; genetic factors contributed to the covariance between alcohol problems and romantic conflict; and common and unique environmental factors contributed to the covariance between alcohol problems and friend problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recognizing and addressing the overlapping genetic and environmental influences that alcohol consumption and problems share with romantic quality and other indicators of social support may have implications for substance use prevention and intervention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University,PO Box 980126,Richmond,VA 23298-0126,USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Population Health,Virginia Commonwealth University,PO Box 980212,Richmond,VA 23298-0212,USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prom-Wormley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Southern California,3620 S. McClintock Avenue,SGM Rm 501,MC-1061,Los Angeles,CA 90089-1061,USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Prescott
authors.affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University,PO Box 980126,Richmond,VA 23298-0126,USA.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kendler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics*; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; gene-environment correlation; marital quality; social support