Evidence for a Genetic Factor in Alcoholism - Research Paper Example

Evidence for a Genetic Factor in Alcoholism According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (39), “alcohol abuse or dependence is a very common condition in the current societies.” Unfortunately, conditions that are usual occasionally end up being heterogeneous. Theme of heterogeneity plays a very significant role in the study of alcoholism, as well as its etiology, ; clinical findings associate alcoholism with heterogeneity. The most usual diagnosis of alcoholism is antisocial personality as well as abuse of other substances. It is as a result of this that Collins, Leonard and Searles (39) assert “genetic models of alcoholism should account for the clinical findings.” In connection to this, the paper will expound on various reasons as to why there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Evidence for the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism arises from many diverse sources. For instances, family studies, twin studies as well as separation studies on adoptees and half sibs confirms that there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Studies of genetic linkage are also the most direct way of justifying that the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism. The studies were enhanced by the investigations on physiological as well as biochemical processes that were relevant to alcoholism as well as having genetic bases. From the findings of the studies, it was evident that the alcoholism runs in families. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (40), the percentage of alcoholism is very high in relatives of alcoholics compared to other persons. Most family studies also evidenced that rates of alcoholism was significantly higher in subjects born to alcoholic fathers. Psychiatric conditions manifested in the etiology of alcoholism also play a very significant role in the study of the genetic involvement in alcoholism. For instance, for many years antisocial personalities has been associated with adult alcoholism. This has also been evidenced by the clinical and family studies that have been carried on alcoholism. The existence of antisocial personality is often associated with earlier age of drinking as well as earlier age of regular drinking. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (41), earlier onset of drinking alcohol has a genetic influence and, as a result, leads to familial alcoholism. Children’s conduct also plays a very significant role in studying familial alcoholism. In most occasions, children born to alcoholic parents portray aggressive behavior. For instance, it is evident that the majority of them is hyperactive as well as portrays conduct disorder. In real life situation, majority of the alcoholics are aggressive. Thus, the aggressiveness of children can be as a result of the inheritance of genes from parents, and as a result of this, one can assert that alcoholism has a genetic factor. This is also in tandem with Goodwin’s findings. According to Goodwin, approximately 20 to 25 percent of sons born to alcoholic parents become alcoholic. He also asserts that 5% of the daughters born to alcoholic parents also end up abusing alcohol (Goodwin 9). As a result of this, one can deduce that historic lineages contribute significantly to alcoholism. Although most people have been linking alcoholism with familial transmission, it is evident that alcoholism has genetic roots. In separation cases, children are usually raised by adoptive parents. The power of separation lies in its potential to separate genetic factors from environmental factors. Its power also enables one to determine the interaction between genes and the environment. As a result of this, the adoption model plays a very significant role in studying whether there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (45), separation of children from their alcoholic parents portrays that alcoholism has a genetic factor. In their study, they found out children born to alcoholic parents end up drinking alcohol in their life in absence of any influence. For instance, Collins, Leonard and Searles assert that daughters of alcoholic mothers often associate themselves with abuse of alcohol despite being raised by adoptive parents. In his study, Goodwin also found out that adoption studies proved that there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. He justified this by providing three studies that were conducted in three different countries in the 1970s. The findings of the studies showed that children born to alcoholics but raised by nonalcoholic parents continued to abuse alcohol just like the ones raised by alcoholic parents (Goodwin 9). From these studies therefore one can deduce that there is a gene factor in alcoholism. Sex plays a very significant role in determining the associating of alcoholism with genetic factors. Sex provides a wide platform for studying both biological and cultural factors that result to alcoholism. Alcoholism correlates with genetic backgrounds. People with same biological background regardless of gender often behave the same. This is also the case with abuse of alcohol; people from alcoholic backgrounds often consume alcohol. According to Collins, Leonard and Searles (46), Type II alcohol abuse which is male limited was enhanced by the presence of a genetic diathesis. The genetic influences aid in understanding the reasons as to why men abuse alcohol more than women in most societies. The genes associated with alcohol abuse are more in men than in women. In this case, therefore, one can deduce that the genetic factors for alcoholism predispose both men and women to alcohol abuse. According to Goodwin (11), “single egg monozygotic twins share the same DNA and presumably have identical susceptibility to genetic illness.” Although they are not very similar, dizygotic twins also share the same genes. As a result of the genetic makeup of twins, genetic epidemiological studies also play a very significant role in understanding the assertion that there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. This is enhanced by learning genetic influences through use of twins, where the prevalence of alcoholism is studied in monozygotic twins with almost identical genomes. Like adoption studies, the use of twins provides a platform for testing the influence of genes in some practices. According to Kincaid, Ross and Spurrett (55), the use of monozygotic and dizygotic twins in the study have proved that there are greater concordance rates for alcohol abuse in monozygotic twins than in the dizygotic twins. This is also evidenced by Goodwin’s findings in which he asserts that identical twins are more concordant for alcoholism compared to fraternal twins (Goodwin 11). Twins studies also provide a platform for studying heritability, and from the findings of the studies that have been carried it is evident that approximately 50-60 percent of negative impacts of alcoholism are associated with genetics. The use of animal models in the studies has also proved that there are genetic factors in alcoholism. In connection to this, it is evidenced that preference of alcoholism varies significantly in rodents, and a selective breeding can result to distinctive strains of alcohol-related characteristics. For instance, “the C57BL/6J strain of mice has consistently exhibited a high preference for alcohol, whereas at the other, the DBA/2J strain consistently exhibits very low alcohol preference” (Kincaid, Ross and Spurrett 55). Thus, the evidence that alcohol preference varies as a result of variation in breed demonstrates that genetic factor plays a very significant role in the study of causes of alcoholism among people. In conclusion, alcoholism in most societies is as a result of the presence of genetic factors in alcoholics. This is evidenced by the twin studies in which monogenetic twins (identical twins) portray high rate of alcoholism than fraternal twins. Genetic factor in alcoholism is also evidenced by the use of animal models; the C57BL/6J strain of mice exhibit high preference for alcohol than DBA/2J strain of mice. The separation of children via adoption also confirms that there is a genetic factor in alcoholism. Sex of individuals also plays a very significant role in determining the presence of a genetic factor in alcoholism; males have a high number of alcoholism genetic factors than women. Familial transmission also contributes to increasing in the rate of alcoholism among siblings. Works Cited Collins, Lorraine, K, Leonard and Searles, John. Alcohol and the Family: Research and Clinical Perspectives. New York: Guilford Press, 1990. Print. Goodwin, Donald. Evidence for a Genetic Factor in Alcoholism. Kincaid, Harold, D., Ross and Spurrett, David, What Is Addiction? New York: MIT Press, 2010. Print. Read More