Genetics can certainly play a role in addiction, but genetics alone don’t tell the whole story.1 If you’re worried about whether having a family history of substance misuse or addiction can increase your teen’s risk of addiction, we’re here to help you understand this complex subject.
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Adolescent Genetic Predisposition to Addiction
It’s normal to be concerned about whether your teen might have a potential genetic predisposition to addiction. If you or a family member struggles with a substance use disorder, you may be understandably worried, but genes are not destiny. While genes can indeed contribute to addiction, and they account for around 40-60% of a person’s overall risk, they are just one of the influences that play a role.1 Although genes do not cause someone to make the initial decision to use drugs or alcohol, they can increase the chances that a person who chooses to use substances will develop an addiction. When a person uses drugs or alcohol, epigenetic alterations in a person’s brain cells (which refers to the complex interaction between a person’s environment and their gene expression) can take place, causing changes in brain function that impact behavior and ultimately lead to addiction.2,3 However, addiction is influenced by many risk factors, including environmental, biological, and social concerns.1 The more risk factors a person has, the higher their chances are of developing an addiction.Understanding Teen Brain Development
Scientists used to believe that most major brain development took place during the first 5 to 6 years of life.4 However, we now know that adolescence is also a time of dramatic brain development, with significant brain reorganization occurring during the teen years.4 During adolescence, synapses, or the transmission spaces between nerve cells, are pruned, and white matter, the part of the brain responsible for communication and exchange of information, grows.4,5 In addition, the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for executive function, such as planning, decision making, and problem-solving, develops and matures mainly during adolescence.4,6 All of this impacts the cognitive and emotional changes that define the adolescent period of development.4 Essentially, this means that while your teen may sometimes act and seem like an adult, and think that they can make their own best decisions, they are still guided more by the amygdala, the part of the brain that is responsible for immediate reactions and fear, instead of by reason and sound judgment.7 This doesn’t mean that they can’t think for themselves, be held responsible, or tell the difference between right and wrong. But it does mean that they still require parental guidance and assistance in many areas of their lives. The adolescent brain is therefore extremely vulnerable to negative influences like substance use, which can have a detrimental impact on the developing brain.8Genetic Influence on Brain Structure
Genetics can have a strong impact on a person’s brain structure, with studies showing that 60-80% of a person’s brain structure is due to genetics.9 Recent research from the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed that genes play a role in the development of even small brain details, including the development of axons, which are the parts of nerve cells that control signals for brain communication.10Developmental Vulnerability Periods
Adolescence is one of the most significant periods of developmental vulnerability.11 Various factors can pave the way for healthy development or, conversely, lead to poor outcomes. For example, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—such as neglect or abuse, a lack of affection, attention, safety, education, or exposure to domestic violence or parental substance abuse—can negatively impact teen development and a healthy transition to adulthood.11,12 Research shows that the teen years are a critical period of brain development, including brain adaptations in areas of higher cognitive functions, such as memory and self-control, that can be affected by environmental factors like ACEs and substance misuse.11,12 Importantly, one study published in Addictive Behavior Reports, found that teens who had 4 or more ACEs had a 4- to 12-fold increased risk of developing alcohol or drug misuse problems.12 This is important to understand when considering the impact of genetics on your teen’s risk of addiction, pointing to the complexity of the teen years and why genetics are not the only contributing factor in addiction.Complimentary Insurance Check
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Key Genetic Markers
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, the term genetic marker refers to a DNA sequence that has a known physical location on a chromosome.13 These markers can help determine a person’s risk for various inherited diseases, including addiction.14Specific Genes Linked to Addiction
Why do some people use substances yet never develop an addiction, while others can get easily hooked after just one or a few uses? The answer may be at least in part due to specific genes that are linked to addiction. A recent study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, searched entire genomes for areas of genetic variations associated with addiction in general as well as specific addictions, such as alcohol, cannabis, and opioid use disorders.15 These areas of genetic variation are known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are associated with the same disease, disorder, condition, or behavior among different people.14Â This study found 19 independent SNPs that were significantly associated with general addiction risk and 47 SNPs for specific substance disorders.15Family History Risk Factors
Although genetics can play an important role in addiction, they do not provide the entire answer. After all, not everyone with a parent or family member with an addiction develops an addiction themselves. As mentioned above, the more risk factors a person has, the higher their risk. The National Institute on Drug Abuse asserts that addition to family history and genes, some of these risk factors include:1- Gender.
- Developmental stage.
- Parental substance use.
- A lack of supervision in childhood or adolescence.
- Permissive attitudes about substance use.
- Peer substance use.
- Poor social skills.
- Academic difficulties.
- Early substance use.
- The ways a substance is used (i.e. smoking certain substances can increase their addictive potential).Â
Mental Health Connection
Substance use disorders and mental health conditions often occur together, and are referred to as co-occurring disorders, or dual diagnosis. The reasons they commonly co-occur are complex and may include heritability or other shared risk factors.14,16 Interestingly, the genomic pattern found in the in the Washington University study that was associated with an increased risk of addiction was also associated with a higher risk of psychiatric disorders, suicidal behavior, and certain physical illnesses.14 However, mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and trauma/PTSD and substance use disorders also have a bidirectional relationship, which means that each condition can influence the other.16 For example, people with mental health conditions may use substances as a way of managing their psychiatric symptoms, and conversely, substance use may exacerbate or even potentially trigger certain mental health symptoms.16Our LocationsÂ
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Early Warning Signs
Identifying the early warning signs of substance use and addiction is crucial for helping prevent the progression to addiction and associated behavioral issues in teens. Some of these early warning signs may include:17- Withdrawal from family and friends.
- Decreased motivation compared to usual.
- Signs of depression or a sullen demeanor.
- Secrecy, lying, or sneaking around.
- Abrupt changes in their friend group.
- Missing school or work regularly.
- Frequently violating curfew.
- Increased arguments with family members.
- Neglecting personal hygiene, such as skipping showers or not changing clothes.
- Detectable odors of alcohol or smoke.
- Presence of drug paraphernalia, like pipes or rolling papers.
- Sudden weight fluctuations.
- Visible track marks on arms or legs (or wearing long sleeves or pants in warm weather to conceal them).
- Unexplained nosebleeds that are not related to allergies or a cold.
- Persistent fatigue or lethargy.
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- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2011). Drug Misuse and Addiction.
- Hamilton PJ, Nestler EJ. Epigenetics and addiction. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2019;59:128-136. doi:10.1016/j.conb.2019.05.005
- Kaplan G, Xu H, Abreu K, Feng J. DNA Epigenetics in Addiction Susceptibility. Front Genet. 2022;13:806685. Published 2022 Jan 25. doi:10.3389/fgene.2022.806685
- Konrad K, Firk C, Uhlhaas PJ. Brain development during adolescence: neuroscientific insights into this developmental period. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013;110(25):425-431. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0425
- UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. (2021). White matter plays a complex role in brain health.
- Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Cerebral Cortex.
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2017). Teen Brain: Behavior, Problem Solving, and Decision Making.
- Arain M, Haque M, Johal L, et al. Maturation of the adolescent brain. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:449-461. doi:10.2147/NDT.S39776
- Jansen AG, Mous SE, White T, Posthuma D, Polderman TJ. What twin studies tell us about the heritability of brain development, morphology, and function: a review. Neuropsychol Rev. 2015;25(1):27-46. doi:10.1007/s11065-015-9278-9
- Rivera-Bonet, C. (2017). Genetics has a higher influence on brain microstructure development than the environment.
- Graf GH, Biroli P, Belsky DW. Critical Periods in Child Development and the Transition to Adulthood. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(1):e2033359. Published 2021 Jan 4. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.33359
- Broekhof R, Nordahl HM, Tanum L, Selvik SG. Adverse childhood experiences and their association with substance use disorders in adulthood: A general population study (Young-HUNT). Addict Behav Rep. 2023;17:100488. Published 2023 Mar 30. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100488
- National Human Genome Research Institute. (2024). Genetic Marker.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2023). New NIH study reveals shared genetic markers underlying substance use disorders.
- Hatoum AS, Colbert SMC, Johnson EC, et al. Multivariate genome-wide association meta-analysis of over 1 million subjects identifies loci underlying multiple substance use disorders. Nat Ment Health. 2023;1(3):210-223. doi:10.1038/s44220-023-00034-y
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2024). Co-Occurring Disorders and Health Conditions.
- Partnership to End Addiction. (2024). Signs of Drug Use in Teens.
