Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are among the most prevalent and costly psychological disorders. Effective prevention and treatment require a better understanding of etiologic, maintaining, and exacerbating factors than is currently available. The proposed study seeks to characterize factors that influence the course of pathological alcohol involvement as individuals near the end of their third decade of life. This is a critical period for distinguishing developmentally limited forms of AUDs from those that are more life course persistent. Funding is requested for a continuing follow-up of all available participants (N approx 440) In a mixed-gender cohort of children of alcoholics (COAs) and children of nonalcoholics (nonGOAs). Participants were first assessed during their freshman year in college (1987-1988) on a wide range of potentially etiologically significant variables (Wave 1), and were followed-up at yearly intervals over the subsequent three years (Waves 2-4) and again six years after baseline (Wave 5) when they were, on average, 24-25 years old. Attempts were made to follow all participants (regardless of their educational outcomes). At Wave 5 (Year 7), 93% of the cohort were still participating (90% have contributed data at all waves). The proposed data collection will involve administration of questionnaires and structured interviews over a two-year period during 1997-1998 when most of these participants will be 2829 years. The proposed data collection (Wave 6) will reassess participants on key psychosocial variables measured at previous waves (e.g., personality, diverse aspects of alcohol and drug- related behavior, psychiatric symptomatology, life stress, and motivations for alcohol use) and will augment previous measures of work and family status. Further analyses of archival and Wave 6 data will be used to address the following issues: (a) Identification of psychosocial factors that mediate and moderate family history risk for AUDs in early adulthood; (b) Identification of variables that influence the course of drinking in young adulthood; identification of long-term sequelae (especially occupational attainment and role functioning in the home and work place) of AUDs during the college years and the mediators of these sequelae; and (d) testing different models of comorbidity of AUDs with other psychological disorders.
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