Family pedigree of alcoholic and control patients.

The focus of this study was on the patterns of appearance of alcoholism in the families of two groups: 90 male and female alcoholic inpatients and 30 control psychiatric inpatients. Results indicated that there was at least one first-degree- or one second-degree-relative family member who was diagnosed as alcoholic in 78% of the male alcoholic proband families and in 75% of the female alcoholic proband families. Prevalence of alcoholism for first- and second-degree relatives was similar. Thus, this pedigree study supports the genetic transmission hypothesis for alcoholism and suggests that "assortative mating" may have an effect on the transmission of alcoholism.