One fruitful approach for studying complex genetically influenced phenomena involves searching for less complex characteristics that contribute to AUD risk but are easier to study than the broadly defined disorder itself (Reilly et al., 2017; Schuckit, 2018). Research has identified genetically influenced phenotypes that lower the risk of heavy drinking and alcohol problems but do not affect the risk for other substance use disorders (SUDs) (e.g., skin flushing related to gene variants of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases), several genetically influenced personality attributes that increase the risk for all SUDs (e.g., impulsivity and sensation seeking), and psychiatric conditions (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorders) that increase the risk for problems related to the excessive use of a wide range of drugs of abuse, including alcohol (Schuckit, 2014a).
