Mental symptoms and disorders in adulthood among offspring of alcoholic parents

Abstract

211 male alcoholic inpatients (the probands) were compared with a simple random sample of 200 men from Greater Stockholm (the controls). The group of male alcoholic inpatients and the random sample were subdivided with respect to alcohol consumption and use of hepatotoxic drugs: (IA) men from the random sample with low or moderate alcohol consumption and no use of drugs (n = 169); (IB) men from the random sample with low or moderate alcohol consumption with use of drugs (n = 31); (HA) alcoholic inpatients with use of alcohol but no drugs (n = 171); (MB) alcoholic inpatients with use of alcohol and drugs (n = 40). Groups IB and IIB had grown up in families with more abuse of alcohol and drugs, broken homes and an alcohol‐abusing father. They showed aggressive behaviour and hostility towards members of their own families when drunk and had even assaulted their partners, wives and children. Groups IB and IIB had been drinking excessively for almost the same time and had an earlier onset, and both had also earlier used narcotic drugs and had the same, type of mental symptoms and mental disorders. They had the same rate of accidents, hospital treatment, poisoning and violence. The alcohol and drug‐combining groups in the sample from the general population and from the alcoholic in‐patients were equally likely to develop social maladjustment problems, including abuse of alcohol and drugs, while they were growing up.

Key words:

• Alcoholic inpatients
• general population
• offspring
• mental symptoms
• hepatotoxic drugs

Notes

¹Sture Mützell, Danavagen 4A, S‐18262 Djursholm, Sweden.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sture Mützell ¹

1Sture Mützell, Danavagen 4A, S‐18262 Djursholm, Sweden.