Familial factors associated with development of alcohol and mental health comorbidity

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) England), 2015-02, Vol.110 (2), p.248-257
• Main Authors: Salom, Caroline L., Williams, Gail M., Najman, Jake M., Alati, Rosa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent behaviour; Adolescents; Alcohol; Alcohol Abuse; alcohol problems; Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Alcohol-Related Disorders - etiology; comorbid; Comorbidity; Confidence intervals; Drinking Behavior; family factors; Family relations; Fathers; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Problems; Humans; Interviews; longitudinal; Male; maternal drinking; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - etiology; Mental Health; mental health problems; Mother-Child Relations - psychology; Mothers; parent closeness; Parent-child relations; paternal drinking; Paternal Exposure - adverse effects; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - epidemiology; Queensland - epidemiology; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - etiology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1111/add.12722

Background and AimsCo‐occurring mental health and alcohol problems appear to be associated with greater health burdens than either single disorder. This study compares familial and individual contributions to development of comorbid alcohol/mental problems and tests whether these differ from single disorders. DesignWomen (n = 6703) were recruited during pregnancy to the longitudinal Mater‐University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). Mother/offspring dyads were followed over 21 years. SettingMater‐Misericordiae Public Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. ParticipantsPrimary offspring from the MUSP with full psychiatric information at 21 years and maternal information at age 14 (n = 1755). MeasurementsStructured interviews at age 21 yielded a four‐category outcome using mental health and alcohol modules of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (no disorder, alcohol only, mental health only and comorbid alcohol/mental health). Multinomial logistic regression models were adjusted for gender, maternal mental health and substance use, family environment and adolescent behaviour. FindingsMaternal smoking [odds ratio (OR) = 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09–2.22 versus no‐disorder] and low mother–offspring warmth (OR = 3.19; 95% CI = 1.99–5.13) were associated with mental health/alcohol comorbidity in young adults, as were adolescent drinking (OR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.25–3.96), smoking (OR = 2.24; 95% CI = 1.33–3.77) and attention/thought problems (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.18–3.52). Some differences were seen from single disorders. In a subsample with paternal data, fathers' drinking problems (OR = 2.41; 95% CI = 1.10–5.29) were more associated strongly with offspring mental health/alcohol comorbidity than both single disorders (P