A key finding from recent studies is that both AUD and AUDIT–P differ phenotypically and genetically from typical alcohol consumption7,10,13. AUD and AUDIT–P index aspects of excessive alcohol intake and higher risk of which correlate with genetic liability to psychiatric and psychosocial factors (for example, higher risk for major depressive disorder and lower educational attainment (EA)). An item-level study of the AUDIT questionnaire confirmed a two-factor structure at the genetic level, underscoring unique genetic influences on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems14 and noted that the genetics of drinking frequency were confounded by socioeconomic status. A similar pattern—genetic distinctions between substance use disorder (SUD) versus nondependent use—has also been observed for cannabis use disorder and cannabis use15. Furthermore, aggregating across multiple SUDs suggests that problematic and disordered substance use has a unique genetic architecture that, while shared across SUDs, does not overlap fully with nondependent substance use per se16.
