U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Multivariate Typology of Adolescents With Alcohol Use Disorder

NCJ Number
166334
Journal
American Journal on Addictions Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1997) Pages: 150-158
Author(s)
R E Tarter; L Kirisci; A Mezzich
Date Published
1997
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Adolescents who qualified for a DSM-III-R diagnosis of alcohol use disorder were studied to determine the possibility of using a multidimensional typology to classify them into subgroups.
Abstract
The research used the Drug Use Screening Inventory, which was administered to 151 youths. Participants also received a structured diagnostic psychiatric evaluation along with measures of personality, academic achievement, and drinking behavior to test the concurrent validity of the subtypes. Results revealed two clusters for each gender. Differences between clusters were reflected primarily on indicators of the severity of the disorder. Females were more inclined toward affective disturbances, whereas conduct disorder was the most common disorder in males. Findings underscored the heterogeneity of the adolescent population with a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder. The differential pattern of alcohol involvement and comorbid psychopathology within clusters and between genders demonstrates the need for interventions tailored to the individual's specific clinical presentation. Tables, figures, and 17 references (Author abstract modified)