Megan E Cooke | PubMed Health

PubMed2026

Perceived partner substance use, genetic predispositions, and their associations with problematic alcohol use, emotional well-being, and relationship quality.

BACKGROUND: Romantic relationships are important contexts for substance use and emotional well-being. We tested the hypotheses that (i) genetic predispositions for alcohol consumption would be positively associated with partner substance use, (ii) partner substance use would moderate genetic influences on one's own alcohol outcomes, and (iii) partner discordance in substance use would be associated with lower emotional well-being and relationship quality. METHODS: Analyses included 2,357 participants (Mage = 51.4, 58.2% female) from the Collaborative Studies on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Focal measures included participants' reports of their own and their current partner's past-year substance use (frequencies of alcohol use, heavy drinking, drunkenness, cannabis use, and nicotine use), emotional well-being, and relationship quality. Participants' genetic predispositions were indexed with genome-wide polygenic scores for alcohol consumption (PGSAlc). Participant-partner substance use discordance was calculated as the difference between the participant's and their partner's use for each substance use measure, separately. RESULTS: Participant PGSAlc was not significantly associated with partners' perceived substance use. Frequent perceived partner alcohol use and heavy drinking significantly amplified the association between PGSAlc and alcohol use or drunkenness. Frequent perceived partner drunkenness and cannabis use significantly attenuated the association between PGSAlc and heavy drinking or frequency of alcohol use. Participant-partner discordance for several substance use measures was significantly associated with lower emotional well-being and relationship quality, controlling for participant and partner substance use main effects. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of partner substance use in etiological models of alcohol use, emotional health outcomes, and relationship quality.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Obsessive-compulsive disorder with hoarding behavior: unravelling key differences.

OBJECTIVE: Hoarding disorder remains underexplored and poorly understood despite its significant impact on individuals and communities. While historically linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), emerging evidence suggests they may be distinct conditions. This study aims to investigate these differences. METHODS: Adults aged 18-88 years old (M = 39.86, SD = 14.86) were part of the Genomic Psychiatry Cohort study, including 1247 individuals with OCD without presumed hoarding disorder (OCD-pHD) and 663 individuals with OCD and presumed hoarding disorder (OCD+pHD). Sociodemographic data were collected, and participants were screened for other psychiatric conditions. All met DSM-5 criteria for OCD, with severity assessed using the Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory and Y-BOCS. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.0007, adjusted for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The OCD+pHD group had significantly lower educational attainment, was more likely to live alone or in supervised living, and less likely to be married. This group also had more severe OCD and poorer insight. All types of obsessions and compulsions were more frequent in the OCD+pHD group, except for obsessions related to harming others. Additionally, the OCD+pHD group had higher rates of major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania and previous diagnosis and/or symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. No significant difference was found for substance use and Tic/Tourette disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Significant clinical differences were observed between the groups, highlighting the need for further research to improve diagnosis, conceptualization, awareness, and support for individuals with hoarding disorder in the context of OCD.

Humans↗