title: Prevalence of alcohol dependence and abuse in general practice.
abstract: The aim of this study is to deliver representative epidemiological data about the prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence in general practices in an urban area. In 12 general practices at Luebeck, a Northern German city with 220,000 inhabitants, a total of 929 patients (aged between 14 and 75 years) were screened using the CAGE and the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. If one of these screening questionnaires or the General Practitioners' assessment of the patient indicated an alcohol problem, the patient underwent a standardized diagnostic interview using the alcohol section of the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. The prevalence rates according to ICD-10 or DSM-III-R were 3.5% for alcohol abuse and 7.2% for alcohol dependence, the sex ratio was 1:2.8 (female:male). These results are compared with previous findings, and general epidemiological implications of this study are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Luebeck, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Rumpf
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hapke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: John
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012744:Sex Ratio; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*