A COMPARISON OF ALCOHOL TYPOLOGIES USING HIV RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG ALCOHOLIC INPATIENTS

Alcohol researchers have identified several typologies to account for heterogeneity among alcoholics. Because elevated rates of HIV infectio n have been reported among alcoholics, the strength of associations fo r HIV risk behavior and 5 typologies of alcoholism (gender, comorbid p sychopathology, gamma-delta, family history, and drug abuse) was evalu ated. Findings indicated that antisocial personality disorder (ASP) ha d the strongest average effect size across a number of indicators of H IV risk behaviors (e.g., condom nonuse and injection drug use). Other subtypes involving elevated HIV risk behaviors, although with smaller effect sizes, were gamma-delta, family history of alcoholism, and drug abuse. Results are discussed regarding (a) the use of alcoholism typo logies to account for problems associated with, but not defined by, al cohol use behaviors and (b) the use of the ASP and other drug abuse su btypes for interventions to modify HIV risk behaviors.