Genetic Determinants of Alcohol Addiction

Abstract

Alcoholism, like schizophrenia, depression, and some other psychiatric conditions, tends to run in families. In studying a familial disorder, it is important to determine whether the illness is influenced by heredity. Some maintain that truly separating “nature” from “nurture” is impossible, but nevertheless, through the years, there have been a number of studies and much speculation concerning a possible role of heredity in alcoholism.