Genetics and Personality Traits Shape Early Teen Drinking Risk

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

The risk for teenage alcohol use is shaped by more than just peer pressure or curiosity, according to a Rutgers-led study.

The research, published in Translational Psychiatry, draws on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. The study began following nearly 12,000 youth at age nine and will continue through age 18, tracking mental health, cognitive development, and substance use across adolescence.

Alcohol use during adolescence is associated with a heightened risk for long-term mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and cognitive impairments. Understanding the drivers of early initiation is crucial for developing effective prevention efforts—particularly for those most at risk.

“We found that risk for early alcohol use was not just related to key environmental factors like parental substance use but was also associated with individual characteristics like genetics and impulsive personality,” said Sarah Brislin, assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a member of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center and the senior author of the study. “No one type of information provided the whole picture.”

Researchers found that genetic risk for behavioral disinhibition (a tendency toward impulsive behavior and difficulty with self-control, often linked to conditions like ADHD and substance use disorders), impulsive personality traits, and prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol were critical predictors of early sipping. However, the transition from a first sip to a full drink was driven more by individual characteristics—especially sensation-seeking and genetic predispositions—than by an environmental context.

Brislin said the findings can inform early interventions that target high-risk youth before alcohol use begins. Programs that address impulsivity, strengthen school engagement and promote positive parenting may be especially beneficial.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-genetics-personality-traits-early-teen.html