RELATION OF DENIAL OF ALCOHOL-PROBLEMS TO NEUROCOGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AND DEPRESSION

Forty-six participants in an alcohol rehabilitation program were asses sed to determine whether neuropsychological impairment was associated with a higher level of denial of alcohol-related problems and whether depressive symptoms were associated with a lower level of denial, Deni al was measured based on the discrepancy between patients' rating of t heir alcohol-related problems on a visual analogue scale and a psychia trist's rating, The neuropsychological functioning of the 15 patients in the group who denied alcohol problems was similar to that of the ot her patients, A modest inverse correlation was found between the level of depressive symptomatology and the level of denial.