beyond genetic correlations, using Mendelian Randomization, PTSD exerted a causal effect on AUD, but not alcohol consumption, but that neither alcohol phenotype exerted a causal influence on PTSD (Bountress et al., 2021). Additionally, genetic correlations between consumption and problems phenotypes vary. One group found correlations between alcohol consumption and AUD ranging from small to moderate (e.g. ∼rG = 0.2–0.3; Sanchez-Roige et al., 2019b). Another found large associations between AUDIT-C and AUDIT-P and AD (∼ rG = 0.70; Mallard et al., 2021) once the association between the frequency item and SES was taken into account. Together these findings suggest the genetic risk for consumption and problematic phenotypes are correlated but distinct.
