PREVALENCE OF DSM-IV ALCOHOL-ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE - UNITED-STATES, 1992

For the first time, results are presented on the prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence in the United States in 1992, according to the m ost recent psychiatric classification of alcohol-related disorders fro m the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Ed ition (DSM-IV). More than 7 percent of adults surveyed met DSM-IV crit eria for 1-year alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, or both. Males were almost three times more likely than females to meet the criteria for alcohol abuse and/or dependence; however, the male-to-female ratio was lowest in the youngest age group among nonblack respondents, suggesti ng that the rates of these disorders in nonblack females may be catchi ng up.