We report an association between AVPR1A and the risk for DUD. Consistent with the hypothesis that vasopressin (AVP) may influence the risk for dysregulated behavioral outcomes through social/affiliative behaviors, this association is mediated in the discovery sample, in part, by a measure of spousal relationship quality. While association or even immediate involvement of sociobehavioral mechanisms in the risk for DUD would not be surprising, the finding suggests a specific genetic foundation for this relationship and opens avenues for future research. It should be noted that the mediation relationship suggested by our findings does not necessarily identify the actual mediator of the association. The AVPR1A gene may have pleiotropic effects on affiliative and social behaviors, and spousal relationship quality may be an indicator of a more general socialization characteristic (e.g., attachment, peer selection, and bonding). Particularly germane, affiliation with deviant peers is among the social behaviors with consistent evidence of a role in substance abuse risk (31-36). In addition, parent-child bonding significantly reduces the risk for a substance abuse outcome (31,32,37-41). Social support or social network formation has also been related to substance abuse patterns (42-45).
