[Late onset alcoholism: gender aspect].
Alcoholism is the most prevalent form of chemical addiction in aged people. Late-onset alcoholism is the heterogenic disorder which comprises subjects with early-onset alcoholism, who continue drinking later, and late-onset alcoholics as such. The development of late onset alcoholism is rather related to social and psychological factors than to familial predisposition that results in its less progressive course comparing to early-onset alcoholism. Basing on the literature and author own clinical data (16 cases of late onset alcoholism), it suggested a substantial role of loneliness in development of late onset alcoholism in women. Because of specifics demographic situation in Russia where life expectancy of women is 14 years longer than that of men, women in their second half of life experience a phenomenon of "widow" alcoholism caused, to the great extent, by the state of emotional loss and loneliness.
Egorov
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AIu
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires