Prevalence of mental illnesses in adult offspring of alcoholic mothers

Abstract

Recognition of maternal alcoholism as a risk factor for mental illness in adult offspring is important. Using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), adult offspring of a clinical sample of alcoholic mothers were assessed for selected lifetime psychiatric disorders. Elevated adjusted odds ratio (OR) of alcohol abuse/dependence (OR 6.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-19.02), and drug abuse/dependence (OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.13-12.34) were observed for daughters of alcoholic mothers compared with a group of women who reported no history of alcoholism in their parents. Prevalence rates of alcohol abuse/dependence, drug abuse/dependence, affective disorders, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder and schizophrenia were higher in sons of alcoholic mothers than in a male comparison sample who reported no history of parental alcoholism, however, these increases were not statistically significant.