Subtyping male alcoholics by family history of alcohol abuse and co‐occurring psychiatric disorder: a bi‐dimensional model

Abstract

Six studies of 568 alcoholics in treatment are summarized to illustrate the interactive effects of familial alcoholism, other forms of family psychopathology and the lifetime prevalence of additional psychiatric disorder on the onset on course of male alcoholism. A family history of alcoholism as well as additional cooccuring psychiatric syndromes were associated with earlier onsets of problem drinking, a more virulent course and greater heterogeneity of psychopathology among first degree relatives. A bi-dimensional method of classifying male alcoholics is proposed which combines a family history of abusive drinking and the presence or absence of co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Implications for the clinical researcher and practitioner are briefly discussed.