A problem drinker is more likely to marry someone who is also predisposed to alcohol dependence, though this doesn't mean that both individuals will end up with major drinking issues, HealthDay News reported on May 17.

American and Australian researchers reported their findings, based on a study of 6,000 twins ands their spouses, in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"Spouse selection is not a random process, and we call this non-random mating," said lead author Julia D. Grant, a research assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"People tend to choose mates who are similar to them, not only from the same neighborhood or socio-economic background, but also alike in personality and other behaviors. We found that people at risk for alcohol dependence tend to marry others who are at risk."

But, according to the study, this doesn't mean that both spouses will end up with drinking problems. One spouse's alcohol abuse may actually lower the risk of the other spouse drinking heavily.

"We don't really know how this works," said Grant. "It is possible that a person decreases his or her alcohol consumption in reaction to the other's excessive alcohol use. Maybe one person is responsible for getting the kids up and out for school in the morning, for example."