Implications of co-occurring alcohol abuse for role impairment, health problems, treatment seeking, and early course of alcohol dependence.
This article explores the nosological and clinical implications of co-occurring alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence and examines the hierarchical relationship between these diagnostic categories in the DSM-IV. Among 2,307 alcohol-dependent participants in the 2003 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 1,646 (68.1%) additionally met the criteria for alcohol abuse. In multivariate analyses, alcohol-dependent participants with alcohol abuse reported an earlier age of first alcoholic drink compared to those without alcohol abuse. They also reported a higher prevalence of health problems, non-alcohol drug use, impairment, treatment seeking, and early remission. The two groups had different symptom profiles. Revisions to future DSM editions are proposed to better capture these differences.
Mojtabai
Ramin
R
Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA. rm322@columbia.edu
Singh
Prameet
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012380:Role; D012919:Social Behavior