The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated its Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including with new information specifically addressed to individuals in the European Economic Area. As described in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences.

Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.

×
No Access

Different definitions of alcoholism, II: A pilot study of 10 definitions in a treatment setting

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.140.10.1314

The authors have developed the Alcohol Poly-Diagnostic Interview, which permits the operationalization of the 10 leading definitions of alcoholism used in the United States and Europe. In a pilot study of 23 patients in an outpatient alcohol treatment facility, all patients were identified as alcoholic by seven of the diagnostic schemes; the other three diagnostic schemes identified at least 78% of the patients as alcoholic. The authors also found that the Diagnostic Interview Schedule was sensitive to the diagnosis of alcoholism among treated patients. This approach should facilitate further research into the relationship among various definitions of alcoholism and studies of their validity.

Access content

To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.