🚀 go-pugleaf

Thanks for the suggestions Chris. I have never heard of Goodwin, but I
have a two-inch stack of Cloninger's articles on genetics and alcoholism.
Unfortunately, my review of these articles has not focused on depression
or really anything that would help me address this "gender roles as a
mediator of depression/alcoholism hypothesis." I do know that there is a
stronger genetic component for alcoholism in males than in females, and
genetic transmission of alcoholism argues against gender roles (or any
environmental variable) as a mediator. There is evidence that
environmental factors are more important in women's development of
alcoholism, so maybe the gender role hypothesis is more accurate for
masculine women and alcoholism.
        I guess part of my thinking is that depression and alcoholism can be
outward expressions of the same underlying conflict. Thus, an individual
who does not possess adequate coping resources will turn to alcohol or
will become depressed depending on their gender roles and what their
gender roles tell them about what is an appropriate way to express their
underlying conflict. People with comorbid depression and alcoholism may have
characteristics of both masculinity and femininity.
        My response to the heredity model of psychopathology is this: I
propose a diathesis-stress model of depression/alcoholism. Since research (I
believe) shows a higher prevalence of alcoholics in families of depressed
patients, as well as a higher prevalence of depressives in families of
alcoholic patients, it could be argued that there is a "depression/alcoholism"
gene. The expression of this gene as either depression or alcoholism
will occur as a result of maladaptive coping styles in response
to stressful environmental factors. When stressful environmental factors
arise, the gene will be expressed as either depression or alcoholism
depending on an individual's gender roles.

        Pardon me for thinking out loud and taking up your e-mail space.
I want to thank everyone for your suggestions and literature referrals. I
am looking forward to trying to get something more than interesting
speculation out of this process, and I hope that reviewing the research
several of you mentioned will help me determine whether not this is
potential thesis material.

Brett Deacon
bdeacon@niu.edu