Genetic and Environmental Vulnerabilities Underlying Adolescent Substance Use and Problem Use: General or Specific?

Abstract

Are genetic and environmental risks for adolescent substance use specific to individual substances or general across substance classes? We examined this question in 645 monozygotic twin pairs, 702 dizygotic twin pairs, 429 biological sibling pairs, and 96 adoptive (biologically unrelated) sibling pairs ascertained from community-based samples, and ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. Substance use patterns and symptoms were assessed using structured psychiatric interviews. Biometrical model fitting was carried out using age- and sex-specific thresholds for (a) repeated use and (b) problem use, defined as one or more DSM-IV symptoms of abuse or dependence. We hypothesized that problem use would be more heritable than use in adolescence, and that both genetic and environmental risks underlying tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use and problem use would be significantly correlated. Results of univariate analyses suggested significant heritable factors for use and problem use for all substances with the exception of alcohol use. Shared environmental factors were important in all cases and special twin environmental factors were significant for tobacco use, tobacco problem use, and alcohol use. Multivariate analyses yielded significant genetic correlations between each of the substances (for both levels studied), and significant shared environmental correlations among use variables only. Our results suggest that tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana problem use are mediated by common genetic influences, but shared environmental influences may be more substance-specific for problem use.

Predictors of problem drinking in adolescence and young adulthood

“…This might be explained by the fact that we assessed associations between one twin's frequency of use in 1993 with the other twin's problem drinking in 1995 and 2000, while in classical twin studies drinking of twins is assessed with identical measures at the same point in time. The relative importance of genetic and environmental effects on problem drinking in young people has been rarely studied, only Young et al [40] showed that the variance in problem drinking in adolescents was for 53% explained by genetics and for 46% by environmental factors. All of these findings suggest that genes might play a role in problem drinking.…”

Association of candidate genes with antisocial drug dependence in adolescents

“…In a recent study of Colorado adolescents, Young et al, (2006) found high heritability for tobacco use (0.46), marijuana use (0.44), problem alcohol use (0.70) and problem marijuana use (0.64). Other studies have also shown that genetic and environmental factors may contribute to a general predisposition to illicit drug use rather than a substance-specific effect (Kendler et al, 2003;Karkowski et al, 2000;Agrawal et al, 2004;Uhl, 2004).…”

The CHRNA5/A3/B4 Gene Cluster Variability as an Important Determinant of Early Alcohol and Tobacco Initiation in Young Adults

“…The fact that genetic factors contribute to tobacco and alcohol problem use has been well established through adoption, twin, and family studies (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Additionally, behavioral genetics studies strongly suggest that problem use of alcohol and tobacco may be due in part to genetic factors common to the etiology of use of both substances (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). However, our understanding of the specific genetic factors and underlying molecular mechanisms remains limited.…”