Psychological factors of familial alcoholism in American Indians and caucasians

Previous studies have reported on the familial transmission of alcoholism and its psychological concomitants. To date, investigators have not studied the familial factor and its relationship to transmission/risk in a group of American Indians (doubly at risk for alcoholism). In two related studies, we have assessed psychological adjustment and drinking behavior of (1) a group of Indians with one or more first-degree alcoholic relatives and a group of Indians without a history of familial alcoholism; and (2) Indians with a history of familial alcoholism compared to Caucasians with a history of familial alcoholism. Results indicate no psychological functioning differences between familial and nonfamilial Indians. However, the familial Indian group reported a style of drinking that more closely resembled that of an alcoholic group. Looking at these data cross-culturally, there are differences between Indians and Caucasians on psychological adjustment, as well as drinking behavior. These differences are present in spite of a shared familial history of alcoholism.