EARLY TREATMENT OF WOMEN WITH ALCOHOL ADDICTION (EWA) - A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION AND OUTCOME STUDY .1. PATTERNS OF PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY AT INTAKE

This paper deals with psychiatric comorbidity among 60 women problem d rinkers treated in a specialized women-only treatment programme (EWA) at Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. The programme attracts wome n who have not been previously treated for alcohol problems. The metho ds used were structured interviews (SCID-I and SCID-II) applied at lea st 10 days after the start of treatment. All but two of the women had a definite alcohol dependence according to the DSM-III-R, and a majori ty (60%) also fulfilled the criteria for at least one psychiatric diso rder during their lifetime. However, only 23% had a personality disord er (PD), and all subjects with a PD also had at least one Axis I disor der. The most common disorders were mood disorders (48%) and anxiety d isorders (38%). However, alcohol dependence developed without definite pre-existing psychiatric disorders among a substantial proportion of the women (40%). It remains to be seen whether and how psychiatric dis turbances among female problem drinkers affect treatment compliance an d long-term outcome.