Alcoholism is a disease that has been shown to affect not only the alcoholic but also the family of the alcoholic. The research on Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) reveals that the effects of parental alcoholism are not something that is eradicated once the child leaves home. This study examined the empirical evidence for characteristics of…

This study examined the relationships between alcohol abuse and spousal violence for 96 women in alcoholism treatment as compared to these comparison groups: 78 women receiving mental health treatment; 98 women receiving services for family violence; 91 women from a random sample of households; and 100 women in a driver education program following…

Alcohol studies, like most psychological studies, have traditionally focused on males. Several psychosocial theories have been used to explain male alcoholism, including dependency, the power drive, and sex role theory. This latter stance may provide a theoretical framework for the etiology of drinking which will apply to both sexes; however,…

Alcoholism is frequently called a family disease; encouraging and even insisting that family members participate in the treatment of alcoholics has become routine practice in almost every treatment setting. This study examined the relationship between treatment participation by a family member and two measures of recovery for three birth cohorts…

There is growing acknowledgement of the association between family violence and alcohol use. A study was conducted to examine the role that abuse plays in the lives of women and to investigate the relationship between alcohol and violence. Data were collected from 35 recovering female alcoholics and 35 nonalcoholic women on their sexual experience…

While sex-role identification and conflict have been cited as factors in alcoholism, only a few studies have used the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) to measure the feminine, masculine, and androgynous traits of alcoholics. One such study was replicated by having subjects rate both their real and ideal selves. A randomized factorial analysis used…

The impact of sex-role conflict among females has been an issue of concern in both the sports arena and the field of alcoholism. This study explored the similarities in sex-role conflict between female athletes and alcoholic women. Subjects were 30 female inpatients of a chemical dependency treatment center; 30 undergraduate students; and 30…

The MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC) of the Minnesota Mulltiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) identifies individuals who are likely to abuse alcohol with an accuracy percentage ranging from 60 to 82 percent. The percentage of false negatives when using this scale range from 3 to 17 percent. In order to investigate the characteristics of false…

The effects of childhood physical and sexual abuse on the development of alcoholism in women was examined by comparing 127 alcoholic women in treatment with two comparison groups. One comparison group was comprised of 83 nonalcoholic women in mental health treatment or receiving services for battering. The second comparison group consisted of 92…

The relationships between experiences of parental violence during childhood and the development of alcoholism or victimization by severe violence from a partner in adulthood were examined by comparing samples of women in treatment for alcoholism (N=89), women receiving services for partner victimization (N=94), and a random sample of women (N=99).…

This study assessed the effectiveness of a brief group treatment program aimed at ameliorating some of the psychological reactions commonly seen in wives of alcoholics. The goals of the 8 week treatment program were: (1) to help wives identify their counterproductive attempts to cope with the alcoholism; (2) to develop constructive coping…

Information about the neuropsychological consequences of alcoholism has been mostly limited to the cognitive functioning of recently detoxified alcoholic men. To expand this research, the long-term recovery of cognitive abilities in alcoholic women was examined in two studies. In the first study, neuropsychological performances were compared for…

Efforts to understand mediating and maintaining factors associated with dysfunction of alcoholics have produced competing explanations and conflicting, overlapping constructs. To clarify the relationship between mental health and attributional patterns among women, the attributional patterns of alcoholic, depressed, and control females in response…

While over 30 percent of the nation's 10 million alcoholics and problem drinkers are women, the severity of female alcoholism is statistically understated. The female inebriate is hidden by society and underserved by current treatment programs. Alcoholism in females has continued to be considered synonymous with male alcoholism. The purpose of…

While alcoholism and problem drinking is not as prevalent among women as men it nonetheless is a serious health concern, deserving greater attention. Investigation results comparing the consumption and problem drinking patterns of women with men finds that lower consumption rates among females cannot be explained by body weight as men drink more…