title: Alcohol dependence and abuse in three groups at varying familial alcoholism risk.
abstract: Three groups of young men varying in familial alcoholism risk were compared for lifetime and current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnoses. A withdrawal gate diagnostic model (WGM) requiring withdrawal for a dependence diagnosis was also evaluated. Extremely high lifetime DSM-IV diagnostic rates were found for all groups (> or = 78%), with the highest rate in the highest risk group. Similar group differences obtained for individual criteria or symptoms. Although lifetime diagnostic rates were similar for the WGM and DSM-IV, virtually all cases of dependence were preceded by abuse for the WGM, unlike DSM-IV. The findings underline the importance of distinguishing degrees of familial alcoholism risk. The WGM model temporal onset findings versus DSM-IV and the high lifetime diagnostic rates obtained suggest some limitations of the DSM-IV diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia 19104, USA. alterman@mail.trc.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Arthur I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Alterman
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.forename: Frank D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Mulvaney
authors.forename: Megan J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langenbucher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012306:Risk