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Cited by 46Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesChild Abuse and TraumaGenetic Associations and Epidemiology

Familial influence and childhood trauma in female alcoholism

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Magnusson, Å., Lundholm, C., Göransson, M., Copeland, W., Heilig, M., Pedersen, N. L.·2012·Psychological Medicine
DOI 10.1017/s0033291711001310PMC PMC3648622
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Abstract

Background: To assess the role of genetic and environmental factors in female alcoholism using a large population-based twin sample, taking into account possible differences between early and late onset disease subtype. Method: Twins aged 20–47 years from the Swedish Twin Registry (n=24 119) answered questions to establish lifetime alcohol use disorders. Subjects with alcoholism were classified for subtype. Structural equation modeling was used to quantify the proportion of phenotypic variance due to genetic and environmental factors and test whether heritability in women differed from that in men. The association between childhood trauma and alcoholism was then examined in females, controlling for background familial factors. Results: Lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence was 4.9% in women and 8.6% in men. Overall, heritability for alcohol dependence was 55%, and did not differ significantly between men and women, although women had a significantly greater heritability for late onset (type I). Childhood physical trauma and sexual abuse had a stronger association with early onset compared to late onset alcoholism [odds ratio (OR) 2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53–3.88 and OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.38–3.79 respectively]. Co-twin analysis indicated that familial factors largely accounted for the influence of physical trauma whereas the association with childhood sexual abuse reflected both familial and specific effects. Conclusions: Heritability of alcoholism in women is similar to that in men. Early onset alcoholism is strongly association with childhood trauma, which seems to be both a marker of familial background factors and a specific individual risk factor per se.

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  • This finding supports evidence from non-quasi experimental studies and suggests that maltreatment may affect broad factors underlying multiple disorders rather than disorder-specific risk factors.

    “This finding supports evidence from non-quasi experimental studies (62–66), and suggests that maltreatment may affect broad factors underlying multiple disorders (e.g., altered brain structure and function (67, 68), emotional dysregulation (69), or information-processing biases (70)) rather than disorder-specific risk factors (29).”

    From Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Quasi-Experimental Studies (2023) · cites this paper as [29]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) concludes that childhood trauma can mark familial susceptibility to alcohol dependence, while childhood sexual abuse may also be an independent individual-specific risk factor. This supports a link between maltreatment and underlying susceptibility, but the paper studies alcoholism, not factors underlying multiple disorders or a comparison with disorder-specific risk factors. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • After excluding studies assessing maltreatment as part of broader victimization or ACEs, or focusing on institutional neglect, the meta-analytic effect size was similar to the original estimate (Cohen's d=0.34, 95% CI=0.26-0.42).

    “After excluding studies which assessed maltreatment as part of broader measures of victimization (k=3) (25, 27, 29) or ACEs (k=5) (30, 34, 39, 44, 49), or focused on institutional neglect (k=3) (15, 45, 46), the meta-analytic effect size was also similar to the original estimate (Cohen’s d=0.34, 95% CI=0.26-0.42).”

    From Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Quasi-Experimental Studies (2023) · cites this paper as [29]

    The Method > Statistical analysis section describes a twin-cohort and co-twin analysis of childhood trauma and alcohol dependence, not the claimed meta-analysis. A search for the exclusion criteria and Cohen’s d=0.34 found no passage reporting those exclusions or that effect size. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. First MB Spitzer RL Gibbon M Williams JBW Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Clinician Version 1997 American Psychiatric Press Washington, DC

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Authors
Magnusson, Å., Lundholm, C., Göransson, M., Copeland, W., Heilig, M., & Pedersen, N. L.
Affiliations
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • Duke University (US)
Corresponding author
Magnusson, Å.
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Medicine
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2011-07-29
Volume
42
Issue
2
Pages
381-389
ISSN
  • 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-8978
DOI
10.1017/s0033291711001310
PMC
PMC3648622
OpenAlex
W2052473477
Cited by
46
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 4
FWCI
2.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
  • Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • AstraZeneca
  • Vetenskapsrådet
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH080230)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
Keywords
female alcoholism, alcoholism, heritability, childhood trauma, child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, early-onset alcoholism, late-onset alcoholism, family factors, genetic and environmental factors, twin studies, sex differences
MeSH terms
Adult, Alcoholism, Child, Child Abuse, Diseases in Twins, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Registries, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Sweden, Age of Onset, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Young Adult, Gene-Environment Interaction

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