Bipolar illness: factors in drinking behavior.

Alcohol use and abuse was investigated in 73 patients with bipolar I manic-depressive illness who were attending a lithium clinic. Alcohol-related problems were identified in 7 of the male and none of the female patients. Family data revealed a higher morbid risk for alcoholism among relatives of patients with drinking problems than among relatives of patients without drinking problems. Morbid risks for affective disorder for these two groups of relatives were similar, suggesting that alcoholism among relatives of patients with bipolar illness is not solely "genotypically" related to the affective disorder.