Alcoholic men with no alcoholic first-degree relatives

The author ascertained the family history of alcoholism in first-degree relatives and extended family members from interviews with 161 men with primary alcoholism consecutively admitted to an inpatient treatment program, as well as from one or two resource persons for each patient. Although 56% (N = 90) of the patients reported no history of alcoholism in first-degree relatives, this decreased to 41% (N = 66) when data from resource persons were added. An additional 10% (N = 16) had evidence of an alcoholic second-degree family member. Men with alcoholic relatives had more early social problems and more severe alcohol-related pathology. The author explores the implications of these findings.