How a spouse's mental health affects alcohol problems during marriage
A genetically informative approach to understanding the impact of spousal psychiatric disorders on alcohol use disorder onset, remission, and relapse
['FUNDING_R01'] · RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-11122205
This project looks at whether a spouse's psychiatric problems or genetic risk change when married people develop, recover from, or relapse into alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11122205 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze existing health and genetic data from married couples to see how a spouse's psychiatric conditions and substance use relate to their partner's alcohol use disorder onset, remission, and relapse. They will compare couples where one partner has conditions like depression, ADHD, antisocial personality disorder, or other substance problems to understand timing and patterns of alcohol problems. The team will use genetic information to test whether a spouse's genetic risk can influence the other partner's drinking and whether a person's own genes make them more or less sensitive to these spouse effects. This project uses previously collected clinical and genomic datasets rather than recruiting new participants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The focus is on married people where one or both partners have had alcohol use disorder or psychiatric conditions and who have contributed medical and genetic data to research cohorts.
Not a fit: People who are single, do not have available genetic or health-record data, or whose drinking problems are unrelated to partner influences are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help identify couples at higher risk and inform targeted prevention or couple-focused treatments to reduce AUD onset and relapse.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has shown partner drinking relates to alcohol problems, but combining spousal psychiatric diagnoses with genetic 'social genetic' analyses in couples is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES — Newark, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SALVATORE, JESSICA E — RUTGERS BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
- Study coordinator: SALVATORE, JESSICA E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Antisocial Personality Disorder, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder