Having biological relatives with alcohol problems increases an individual’s risk for alcohol problems (Dawson et al., 1992, Chartier et al., 2010). The intergenerational transmission of alcohol use is attributed to multiple mechanisms, including genetic vulnerability (Verhulst, Neale, & Kendler, 2015) and learned attitudes about alcohol and drinking behaviors (Bailey et al., 2011, Peterson et al., 1994). Many people report a family history (FH) of alcohol problems: A recent national survey documented 21.0% of adults had a biological parent with a history of alcohol problems, and 37.6% had another biological relative with a history of alcohol problems (Karriker-Jaffe, Greenfield, & Kaplan, 2017). Adults with familial alcohol problems are more likely to transition from at-risk drinking to alcohol use disorder (AUD) (Beseler et al., 2008, Milne et al., 2009). Secondhand effects of family members’ alcohol problems also are significant, particularly for women (Nayak, Patterson, Wilsnack, Karriker-Jaffe, & Greenfield, 2019) and children (Kaplan, Nayak, Greenfield, & Karriker-Jaffe, 2017).
