NCJ Number
131295
Editor(s)
R W Pickens,
D S Svikis
Date Published
1988
Length
183 pages
Annotation
Research findings suggested that genetic factors are involved in the etiology of alcoholism, and researchers suspect that genetics may also be involved in the etiology of drug abuse.
Abstract
In terms of etiology, most attention in the drug abuse field has been focused on psychosocial factors that contribute to drug experimentation by adolescents. Only limited attention has been paid to the role of genetic and environmental factors in drug abuse, particularly as it relates to the development of compulsive patterns of drug abuse and/or drug dependence. Evidence suggests that the pattern of inheritance for drug abuse may be similar to that for alcoholism. Drug abusers frequently abuse alcohol, and alcoholics often report problematic drug use. Also, alcoholism and drug abuse tend to run in the same families. Five types of research strategies have been employed to study genetic factors in alcoholism and are therefore relevant to drug abuse studies: animal selective breeding studies, family studies, adoption studies, twin studies, and high risk studies. Each research strategy is reviewed, and possible mechanisms for the inheritance of a tendency toward alcoholism or drug abuse are considered. Methodological issues in biological vulnerability research and the practical implications of research on biological vulnerability to drug abuse are discussed. Particular attention is paid to personality factors in drug addiction, individual differences in drug response, and the role of psychopathology in the familial transmission of drug abuse. 477 references, 23 tables, and 15 figures