Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

___________________________________________

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Are there empirically supported and clinically useful subtypes of alcohol dependence?

Addiction. 2006 Sep;101 Suppl 1:97-103





Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.

AIMS:

This paper provides an overview of several multidimensional empirically derived typologies of alcohol use disorders that have been derived primarily for research purposes in relation to their clinical utility.

METHODS:

Studies using multivariate statistical methods for identifying homogeneous groups of subjects were selected for inclusion. Theoretically based typologies were not included in this review.

RESULTS:

While formal diagnostic criteria typically identify separate categories of alcohol abuse and dependence, several studies using different statistical methods consistently suggest as many as four homogeneous types of alcoholism: a chronic/severe type, a depressed/anxious type, a mildly affected type and an antisocial type.

CONCLUSIONS:

Even though the longitudinal outcomes of few empirically derived subtypes have been examined, alcoholism typologies remain a viable and potentially valuable tool for investigating etiological pathways, the effectiveness of treatments and the long-term course of alcohol use disorders.

at