Some Antecedent Factors in the Family Histories of 109 Alcoholics

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Abstract
The family histories of 109 severe male alcoholics were investigated for evidence of antecedent parental rejection and overprotection, parental death or separation prior to the 15th year, sibling position, family size and religious affiliation. The incidence data were compared with the general population and with previously studied groups of schizophrenics. No cluster was found in any sibling position in the alcoholic group, though sibling rivalry was common; 3 times as many alcoholics (like the previously studied schizophrenics) originated from larger families than did the generality; 44% of the group were Roman Catholic, as compared to a national incidence of 18%; 62% of them came from homes in which there was marked and severe parental rejection, particularly by the father; and 27% were severely overprotected by one or both parents; 37% had lost one or both parents through various causes prior to the 15th year, which is 4% more than the national average. Only 9% of the group had neither a history of pathological parental attitudes nor had experienced parental loss. The etiological significance of these data in the genesis of alcoholism is discussed.

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