Psychological factors of familial alcoholism in American Indians and caucasians

Abstract

Previous studies have reported on the familial transmission of alcoholism and its psychological concomitants. To date, investigators have not studied the familial factor and its relationship to transmission/risk in a group of American Indians (doubly at risk for alcoholism). In two related studies, we have assessed psychological adjustment and drinking behavior of (1) a group of Indians with one or more first‐degree alcoholic relatives and a group of Indians without a history of familial alcoholism; and (2) Indians with a history of familial alcoholism compared to Caucasians with a history of familial alcoholism. Results indicate no psychological functioning differences between familial and nonfamilial Indians. However, the familial Indian group reported a style of drinking that more closely resembled that of an alcoholic group. Looking at these data cross‐culturally, there are differences between Indians and Caucasians on psychological adjustment, as well as drinking behavior. These differences are present in spite of a shared familial history of alcoholism.

Cumulative trauma and PTSD in American Indian communities.

“…Other studies have indicated that prevalence estimates for depression and affective disorders in American Indians ranged from a high of 64% to a low of 14% (Bloom, 1972;Kinzie et al, 1992;. In addition, studies of American Indians have suggested a relationship among alcoholism, depression, and other psychological factors, but little data is available (Hoffman & Jackson, 1973;Jones-Saumty, Hochhaus, Dru, & Zeiner, 1983).…”

A theory of reservation-dwelling American Indian alcohol use risk.

“…Recently, in a reservation-dwelling American Indian sample, we found that, just as with Caucasians, sensation seeking was related to drinking quantity and frequency, but only urgency uniquely predicted problem drinking (Spillane & Smith, 2005). As noted above, there is also evidence that relief of subjective distress relates to American Indian drinking (Jones-Saumty et al, 1983; King et al, 1992). Those findings, together with research supporting the relationship between alcohol expectancies and alcohol use/problems (Garcia-Andrade et al, 1996), suggests that tests of this modified acquired preparedness model may bear fruit.…”

“…The early American Indian risk literature gave considerable attention to locus of control as a potential risk factor (Hurlburt, Gade, & Fuqua, 1983; Jones-Saumty, Hochhaus, Dru, & Zeiner, 1983; Mariano, Donovan, Walker, Mariano, & Walker, 1989; Whitley, 1980). Locus of control is a broad concept that refers to the degree to which an individual believes that his or her behavior is controlled by himself or herself (internal locus of control) or forces external to the self, such as the environment (external locus of control).…”

Psychiatric Morbidity and Parental Substance Use Disorder

“…In a group of college students, Jones-Saumty and coworkers found increased psychological symptoms among those with alcoholic parents (1). ElGuebaly and colleagues demonstrated that children of alcoholics manifested diverse psychiatric symptoms (2).…”