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Abstract
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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Co-occurring mental health and alcohol problems appear to be associated with greater health burdens than either single disorder. This study compares familial and individual contributions to development of comorbid alcohol/mental problems and tests whether these differ from single disorders.
DESIGN: Women (n=6703) were recruited during pregnancy to the longitudinal Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). Mother/offspring dyads were followed over 21 years. SETTING: Mater-Misericordiae Public Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Primary offspring from the MUSP with full psychiatric information at 21 years and maternal information at 14 (n=1755). MEASUREMENTS: Structured interviews at 21 yielded a four-category outcome using mental health and alcohol modules of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview [no disorder, alcohol only, mental health only, and comorbid alcohol/mental health]. Multinomial logistic regression models were adjusted for gender, maternal mental health and substance use, family environment and adolescent behaviour.
FINDINGS: Maternal smoking (OR=1.56; CI95 =1.09-2.22 vs no-disorder) and low mother-offspring warmth (OR=3.19; CI95 =1.99-5.13) were associated with mental health/alcohol comorbidity in young adults, as were adolescent drinking (OR=2.22; CI95 =1.25-3.96), smoking (OR=2.24; CI95 =1.33-3.77) and attention/thought problems (OR=2.04; CI95 =1.18-3.52). Some differences were seen from single disorders. In a sub-sample with paternal data, fathers' drinking problems (OR=2.41; CI95 =1.10-5.29) were more strongly associated with offspring mental health/alcohol comorbidity than both single disorders (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Maternal smoking and low mother-child warmth appear to be related to alcohol, mental health and comorbid disorders at age 21, possibly via constituent alcohol and mental health disorders. Adolescent drinking and attention/thought problems appear to be associated with comorbid disorders but not with individual alcohol and mental health disorders.
Language: en |