New Mexico Human Services Department Behavioral Health Services Division

37 Plaza La Prensa
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
(505) 476-9266
March 4, 2016

Dear Behavioral Health Division,

Per your request, attached are the research results we gathered on the relationship, if any,
between birth order and addiction. Here at the New Mexico Human Services Department
Behavioral Health Services Division we make it our mission to to support and provide assistance
to individuals with addictions and substance dependencies. This report will introduce data on
individuals with addictions and how their birth order amongst their siblings may play a role in
the formation of their addiction. This report also examines secondary research that explores birth
order and personality and the effect those factors have on individuals.
We have included our data as well as what measures we recommend be taken to help
prevent addiction.
Thank you for your time,
Sincerely,
Gregory Lopez and Patricia Jarvis

Introduction
We are representing the New Mexico Department of Human Services Behavioral Health
Division. We are here to present our research on how birth order correlates to an individuals risk of
developing an addiction. Drug addiction is a prevalent issue in our community, with more than twice as
many New Mexicans dying of drug overdoses than the national average per capita. (Albuquerque Journal,
Aug. 12,2012) According to the Sage Neuroscience Center and the National Institute on Drug abuse, New
Mexico has the second highest drug overdose death rate in the United States. Our research was gathered
using a variety of methods, including:
1. Peer reviewed publications
i. Choate, Peter. "Adolescent Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: The Experience of

Parents." Behavioral Sciences 5.4 (2015): 461-76.

-

This article outlines, from the parents perspective, how alcohol and drug abuse affect the family
dynamic.
ii. Rohere, Julia. "Examining the Effects of Birth Order on Personality." Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 11/17/2015 , Vol. 112 Issue 46,
p14224-14229

This journal article examines whether an individuals birth order significantly impacts their style of life
and the course they follow.

iii. Tamika C. B. Zapolski, and Gregory T. Smith. "Personality Measured in Elementary

School Predicts Middle School Addictive Behavior Involvement." Journal of Psychopathology

and Behavioral Assessment J Psychopathol Behav Assess 37.3 (2014): 523-32.
-

This is an overview of how certain personality characteristic and behavioral issues in middle
school are an indicator of future substance abuse.
iv. Wallace, Lacey Nicole. "Sibling Popularity: A Moderator of Sibling Influence for

Adolescent Substance Use." Addiction Research & Theory 23.6 (2015): 481-89
-

This journal discussed how siblings who suffer from substance abuse influence one another.
2. Internet articles
3 Surveys, produced by us and circulated to colleagues and peers.

Methods
Primary Research
First, we sought out to collect data that would give us an understanding of individuals with
addictions and their birth order amongst their siblings, if any. We produced a survey, using Google Pages
to host the survey and allow for easy circulation. We circulated the survey to colleagues and peers, and
encouraged them to forward the survey within their network, generating 74 samples. The survey asked the
following questions:

1.
2.
3.
4.

If you know an individual with an addiction, what is their addiction?

If any, how many siblings does this individual have?
More specifically, what is the individual's birth order amongst their siblings?
Does this individual have a parent who also suffers from an addiction?

After collecting the survey data, it became clear what limitations were present in collecting our
primary research. First, while we asked if any one, or both, parents of the addicted individual exhibited an
addiction, we failed to ask about the upbringing of the addicted individual and how any traumatic
experiences or childhood experiences contributed to the risk of that individual developing an addiction.
Second, the survey does not account for all addictions. The survey asks if the addicted individual is
addicted to street drugs, prescription medications, or alcohol leaving an option for Other, which
accounts for addictions varying from gaming and food to sex and social media. Third, the survey does not
distinguish between blood and step siblings. That is, while a survey sample might of answered that they
knew an individual with an addiction who was third oldest in a family of four children there is no way of
knowing if all the children grew up together or if that individual was became the third youngest when
other siblings entered their family unit.This could potentially prove to be a problem, since another
limitation we encountered was not being able to gauge an addicted individual's influence from peers and
siblings. It could be that an individual already exhibited an addiction before they gained a new place, in
respect to youngest to oldest birth order, amongst their siblings.

Results
Primary Research
First we asked, If you know an individual with an addiction, what is their addiction?. The data
revealed that alcohol was the largest addiction, having been reported by 35, or 47.3%, of participants. The
second largest category of addiction found by our data was prescription drugs, having been reported by
16, or 17.6%, of participants. The third largest addiction to have been reported in our survey was street
drugs (which can include marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine). Street drugs, according to our data, is reported
to have been the addiction of 13, or 17.6%, of reported individuals with an addiction (Refer to figure 1
below).

(Figure 1)
Second we asked, If any, how many siblings does this individual have?. Of the 74
samples we received on our survey there were 18, or 24.3%, reported individuals with addictions
that have 5 or more siblings, being the most popular option for question two of the survey.
having two siblings was the second most reported answer, followed by one,three, four, and no
siblings, respectively (Refer to figure 2 below).

(Figure 2)
Third we asked More specifically, what is the individual's birth order?. 28, or 37.8%,
of participants in the survey identified the individual with an addiction as having been born
second. 23, or 31.1 %, of participants reported an individual with an addiction as being firstborn.
This was followed by fourth born individuals with an addiction having 11, or 14.9%, of reports
followed by third born individuals, 8 reports or generating 10.8% of the total reports, followed
by fifth or more born individuals comprising 4 reports, or 5.4%, of data collected (Refer to
Figure 3 below).

(Figure 3)

Finally we asked Does this individual have a parent who also suffers from an addiction?. Our
data collected showed that the majority of the survey population, 30 participants, reported that neither
parent of the addicted individual had an addiction, comprising 40.5% of the survey results collected for
this question. 22, or 29.7%, of survey participants reported that the addicted individual had a father who
also had an addiction. 12, or 16.2%, of the participants reported that both the mother and the father of the
addicted individual had an addiction. 10, or 13.5%, of survey participants reported that the mother of the
addicted individual had an addiction (Refer to figure 4 below).

(Figure 4)
The raw data revealed, as a whole, what the relationship was between the addicted individuals reported
was amongst their siblings. To identify exactly how many of the individuals reported were the first born,
middle child, youngest child, or an only child we went through each survey individually and identified
each reported addicted individuals place amongst their siblings (Refer to Figure 5 below).

(Figure 5)

What we found, of the reported addicted individuals, is that 16 were first born, oldest children
amongst their siblings. 37 of the reported addicted individuals were middle children, 16 were the
youngest amongst their siblings, and 5 of the reported addicted individuals were only children.

Secondary Research
For our secondary research we consulted peer reviews at the University of New Mexico
Library and used a search engine to locate articles on the internet that were relevant to our topic.
Because there were not many articles published specifically on how birth order is related to
addiction, we were limited in the amount of data specifically targeted to the main point of our
research. To overcome this, we reviewed articles that discussed birth order characteristics,
genetic influences on addiction, as well as what role if any - environment contributes. In
addition, we reviewed theorist Alfred Adlers work in relation to birth order and addiction.

Alfred Alder was a 19th century theorist and associate of Freud and Jung. He was one of
the first theorists who developed research supporting the idea of birth order influence personality.
According to Adlers findings, an individuals birth order significantly affects their ability to deal
with love, work, friendship and their overall style of life. (Classical Alderian Psychology)
He argued that most of the behaviors and character traits an individual possessed by an
individual stem primarily from developmental issue, which would include their order of birth.
(Adlers Birth Order Theory. Livestrong.com 2014)
Adler believed that first-born, or oldest children, tend to be perfectionists, conscientious,
dominant, goal-oriented and rule-conscientious. He stated that the first-born also has a need for
praise or affirmation from their parents, and that first time parents generally place their first child
under tremendous pressure to succeed. (Alfred Adler Research on Birth Order. Web 28 Feb 2016)
Sibling rivalry can develop when a first-born child feels dethroned by the introduction
of a new child born into the family, leaving the older child feeling unloved or insignificant. As a

result of this, first-borns may become strict authoritarians later in life. (Alfred Adler Research on
Birth Order. Web 28 Feb 2016)
Middle-born children, on the other hand, may actually idolize their older sibling. Since
they have never been the sole focus of their parents attention, they feel less pressure to succeed
and at times may become lonely or depressed. Middle children often turn to their friends and
peers for support, and are typically very loyal. They tend to be the mediators in the family, and
strive to avoid conflict. (Alfred Adler Research on Birth Order. Web 28 Feb 2016) They are
typically the most flexible and diplomatic, and often struggle with finding their place within the
family unit. Because of this, middle children can tend to be more competitive and rebellious in a
quest to gain attention. (Adlers Birth Order Theory. Livestrong.com, 2014)
In regards to the youngest child in the family, Adler theorized that they are usually the
most dependent and coddled. They tend to be overprotected and spoiled by both their parents and
older siblings, and as a result can become manipulative and self-centered. The youngest child is
generally full of confidence and enjoys being the entertainer of the family. (Adlers Birth
Order Theory. Livestrong.com, 2014)

Only children often have either the characteristics of a first-born or youngest child.
Because only children have no competition for their parents attention, many times they become
spoiled and have a difficult time when limits are set. Conversely, these children are typically the
most mature, independent and creative in the birth order.(Adlers Birth Order Theory.
(Livestrong.com, 2014) They learn to entertain themselves and are generally very comfortable
interacting with adults.

Adler noted that twins, especially identical twins, tend to be closer to one another than
the average siblings. (Adlers Birth Order Theory. Livestrong.com, 2014) Typically, one twin is
more dominant than the other, and will behave more as a first-born or leader. Together twins are
quite confident, however they often have a difficult time being alone or separated from one
another. Because they are usually viewed as a unit, individually twins may develop identity
issue later in life.
Because family structures can vary greatly, Adler suggests that sub-groups of siblings can
form within the family. Generally this happens when there is a large age gap between them, or
when there is an older set and a younger set of children in the same home. In this situation,
the older of each set of children will take on a first-born role due to the circumstances. In
addition, Adler noted that gender roles, parental attitudes and socio-economic issues also play a
part in establishing a childs position within the family.
Studies show that, while environmental factors play a role in an individuals risk of
addiction, genetics also have an equal hand. Numerous studies confirm addiction is due to 50%
poor coping skills and 50% genetics. There is not, however a single addiction gene; many
genes are related to addiction, and it has been proven that individuals who do not possess these
genes have a lower rate of addiction. ( Wallace, 481-489) Additional studies show that parental
addiction places a child at an 8 times greater risk of becoming an addict in their lifetime. This
does not mean, however, that an individual with a low genetic predisposition will not develop an
addiction. Prolonged or repeated substance abuse can permanently rewire the brain and
strengthen the areas associated with addiction.

Discussion and Conclusion

Our research provided clear results in determining that there is a definite spike in the number of
middle children facing addiction in comparison to the oldest or youngest child. We learned that the middle
child in a family faces a multitude of issues not faced by their siblings, and that this often leaves them
feeling displaced within the family unit and makes them more vulnerable to addiction. And, while
genetics play a role in addiction, it is not the determining factor in the formation of an addiction within an
individual. There is no one gene that can be traced, linked, and be responsible for the formation of an
addiction. Environmental influences are also significant, middle children are more likely to be loyal to
and be influenced by their peers. Of course, the individuals that a ,middle child surrounds themselves with
also is a factor in what they will be influenced by. Another thing to consider is that while our primary and
secondary research were in agreement, it is important to remember that only 74 individuals were
surveyed and this may not be a trend that is represented across the whole population but is an indicator of
a trend observed in our data sample.

As previously stated, an individuals chances of developing an addiction is fueled both by

genetics and their environment. Early and repeated use of drugs alters the brain chemistry and can lead
to addiction, even if the individual is not predisposed genetically. For a child, adolescence is an especially
risky time, as they are transitioning to high school and drugs and alcohol are now readily available.
Regardless of a childs birth order, the best strategies for preventing addiction is early education and
intervention. Research -based prevention programs based on scientific evidence have been proven to
produce positive results. ( National Institute on Drug Abuse) There are currently three types of programs:

Universal programs address risk factors that children are faced with in settings such as school.
Selective programs target children whose environment place them at an increased risk for drug use.
Indicated programs designed for teens who are already in the stages of addiction.
In addition to the above mentioned programs,we recommend therapy and counseling for teens and their
families, which have been shown to be beneficial. Parents and educators should also teach positive

coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety, and encourage children to pursue the things that
interest them positively. (World of Psychology) All of these things work collaboratively to boost a childs
self-esteem, and can reduce or eliminate the risk factors of an individual developing an addiction.

Works Cited
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2016.
"Alfred Adler Research on Birth Order - Mundelein High School." Alfred Adler Research on
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2016
"Can Birth Order Really Predict Addiction?" Can Birth Order Really Predict Addiction? Web.
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Choate, Peter. "Adolescent Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: The Experience of Parents."
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Gallagher, Mike. Deadly Addictions. Albuquerque Journal, August 12, 2012 Web. 2 March
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Tamika C. B. Zapolski, and Gregory T. Smith. "Personality Measured in Elementary School
Predicts Middle School Addictive Behavior Involvement." Journal of Psychopathology
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Feb 2016
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