NCJ Number
140807
Journal
Alcoholism: Experimental and Clinical Research Volume: 10 Issue: 6 Dated: (November-December 1986) Pages: 651-656
Date Published
1986
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Using data collected from interviews with 461 convicted drinking drivers in New York who were evaluated for alcoholism problems, this study examines the nature and degree of their alcohol impairment. Specifically, the study discusses what other areas are affected by alcohol and with what frequency in the population studied, whether levels of alcohol impairment are sufficient to meet the diagnostic criteria of DSM-III, and what the significance of these diagnostic groups is to the DWI population.
Abstract
The results showed that a vast majority of these subjects had experienced other alcohol-related problems including violence while intoxicated, difficulty with family and friends, inability to stop drinking, amnesia, and consumption of drinking despite medical problems. While DSM-III diagnoses do not incorporate any measures of alcohol tolerance and thereby provide a conservative estimate of alcohol abuse, they are useful in distinguishing groups based on their quantity, frequency, and self-reported DWI measures. Use of a modified DSM-III diagnostic scheme showed that half the sample were alcohol abusers and about 20 percent were alcohol dependent. The data show that the number of DWI incidents increase with the severity of the drinking problem, emphasizing the need for identifying and intervening with persons who have serious alcohol-related problems. Continuing research is needed to ascertain how different DSM-III categories of drinkers compare in subsequent course, response to treatment, and recidivism. 1 figure, 5 tables, and 10 references