From latent class analyses of 831 offspring aged 12–32, we identified four distinct patterns of substance use and psychiatric disorder that were characterized as 1) unaffected, 2) alcohol abuse/dependence (AUD), 3) comorbid alcohol abuse/dependence, anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder (AUD-MDD-ANX), and 4) comorbid alcohol abuse/dependence, cannabis abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence and conduct disorder (SUD-CD). With the exception of the unaffected class, all patterns of comorbidity included SUD, with no evidence for an internalizing class without SUD. Thus the clustering of psychiatric disorders in young adult offspring of parents with SUD may most likely be characterized by SUD with or without comorbid disorders.
