Premium
The Causal Role of Alcohol Use in Adolescent Externalizing and Internalizing Problems: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Author(s) -
Chao Miao,
Li Xinying,
McGue Matt
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.13493
Subject(s) - mendelian randomization , anxiety , psychology , aldh2 , juvenile delinquency , aggression , clinical psychology , adh1b , poison control , conduct disorder , psychiatry , medicine , genotype , genetics , environmental health , branched chain alpha keto acid dehydrogenase complex , biochemistry , chemistry , genetic variants , gene , dehydrogenase , biology , enzyme
Background The co‐occurrence of alcohol use and externalizing/internalizing problems threatens adolescents’ mental health. Research on whether alcohol use and these problems are causal and the direction of the potential causal relationships is needed to understand the mechanisms of the co‐occurrence. Methods A Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted in which the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 ( ALDH 2 ) rs671 polymorphism was used as an instrumental variable for alcohol use phenotypes. In total, 1,608 Chinese adolescents (mean age 14.11 ± 1.83 years) were genotyped for the ALDH 2 rs671 polymorphism. Three externalizing problems (aggression, delinquency, and attention problems) were measured with the Youth Self‐Report inventory, and 2 internalizing problems (depression and anxiety) were measured with the self‐reported Children's Depression Inventory and the Trait subscale of the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results Alcohol use was positively associated with all 3 externalizing and 2 internalizing problems, and the ALDH 2 polymorphism had a significant effect on alcohol use. Aggression and attention problems were also significantly affected by the ALDH 2 polymorphism, whereas no significant association was observed between the ALDH 2 polymorphism and delinquency, anxiety, or depression. Conclusions The results suggest that alcohol use is a cause of adolescent aggression and attention problems but not adolescent delinquency, anxiety, or depression.