Journal article
Age at First Use and Later Substance Use Disorder: Shared Genetic and Environmental Pathways for Nicotine, Alcohol, and Cannabis
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol.125(7), pp.946-959
2016
Abstract
Behavioral genetic studies have provided insights into why early substance use initiation is associated with increased risk for disorder. Few genetically informative studies, however, have operationalized initiation as the timing of first use and simultaneously modeled the timing of initiation and problematic use of multiple substances. Such research can help capture the risk associated with early initiation and determine the extent to which genetic and environmental risk generalizes across substances. This study utilized a behavior genetic approach to examine the relation between the age of substance use initiation and symptoms of substance use disorder. Participants were 7,285 monozygotic and dizygotic twins (40% male, mean age at interview 30.6 years) from the Australian Twin Registry who reported on their ages of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis initiation and symptoms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV) nicotine dependence, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder. Biometric modeling was conducted to (a) determine the structure of genetic and environmental influences on initiation and disorder and (b) examine their genetic and environmental overlap. The latent structure of initiation differed across men and women. The familial covariance between initiation and disorder was genetic among men and genetic and environmental among women, suggesting that the relation between first substance use and disorder is partly explained by a shared liability. After accounting for familial overlap, significant unique environmental correlations were observed, indicating that the age of initiation of multiple drugs may directly increase risk for substance-related problems. Results support the utility of conceptualizing initiation in terms of age and of adopting a multivariate approach.
Details
- Title
- Age at First Use and Later Substance Use Disorder: Shared Genetic and Environmental Pathways for Nicotine, Alcohol, and Cannabis
- Authors
- Leah S Richmond-Rakerd (Author) - University of Missouri, United StatesWendy S Slutske (Author) - University of Missouri, United StatesMichael T Lynskey (Author) - Kings College London, United KingdomArpana Agrawal (Author) - Washington University School of Medicine, United StatesPamela A F Madden (Author) - Washington University School of Medicine, United StatesKathleen K Bucholz (Author) - Washington University School of Medicine, United StatesAndrew C Heath (Author) - Washington University School of Medicine, United StatesDixie J Statham (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and LawNicholas G Martin (Author) - QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Publication details
- Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Vol.125(7), pp.946-959
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Date published
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.1037/abn0000191
- ISSN
- 0021-843X; 0021-843X
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2016 American Psychological Assocation. Reporduced with permission of the copyright holder. This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99451139602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
- Research Statement
- false
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
- Psychology, Clinical
- Psychology, Multidisciplinary
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