Etiology of Alcoholism Reconsidered: The Case for a Biopsychosocial Process

The etiology of alcoholism is best understood within the context of a longitudinal-developmental framework that includes physiological, behavioral, and sociocultural variables. The recently reported Vaillant follow-up study, although ostensibly set within such a framework, in fact understates the ro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American psychologist 1986-07, Vol.41 (7), p.783-793
Main Authors: Zucker, Robert A, Gomberg, Edith S. Lisansky
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement
Adolescent
Adult
Alcoholism
Alcoholism - etiology
Alcoholism - genetics
Alcoholism - psychology
Antisocial Personality Disorder - complications
Child
Child Behavior Disorders - complications
Culture
Dependent Personality Disorder - complications
Environment
Ethnic Groups - psychology
Etiology
Follow-Up Studies
Human
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Marriage
Parent-Child Relations
Peer Group
Personality
Psychosocial Development
United States
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Summary:The etiology of alcoholism is best understood within the context of a longitudinal-developmental framework that includes physiological, behavioral, and sociocultural variables. The recently reported Vaillant follow-up study, although ostensibly set within such a framework, in fact understates the role of personality influences and dismisses childhood effects out of hand. We review these data and offer a different set of conclusions about the roles of childhood influences, personality, and cultural factors in the etiologic process. An alternative integrative review of the existing longitudinal literature is presented that sets these findings in the context of a biopsychosocial process.
ISSN:0003-066X
1935-990X
DOI:10.1037/0003-066X.41.7.783