The criteria of Cloninger et al. and von Knorring et al. for subgrouping alcoholics: a comparison in a clinical population.
There is increasing evidence that meaningful subgroups of alcoholics may exist. Cloninger et al. and von Knorring et al. have developed criteria to delineate what both call type 1 and type 2 alcoholism. However, when we compared their criteria in a predominantly inpatient sample of male alcoholics, we found large differences between the approaches in identifying type 1 and type 2 alcoholism. Concordance was equally low in a subsample of 34 alcoholics exhibiting antisocial behavior and when subjects were divided by whether the first alcohol-related problem began before or after 20 years of age. Similar findings emerged when we limited our analyses to primary alcoholics and alcoholics with no other mental disorders.
Lamparski
D M
DM
Laboratory of Clinical Studies, DICBR, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland.
Roy
A
A
Nutt
D J
DJ
Linnoila
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010553:Personality Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment