CHARACTERISTICS OF VIOLENT ALCOHOLICS

This study is based on interviews with 53 male alcoholics. Its purpose was to study the relationship between childhood conditions, history o f alcohol and drug misuse and assaultive and suicidal behaviour. Fifty -seven per cent of the alcoholics reported a history of violent behavi our. Hidden violence, often towards women, was common. One-third of th e violent patients had a history of attempted suicide compared to 17% in the non-violent group. The assaultive alcoholics also had a more vi olent childhood, a higher proportion of fathers with alcohol problems and had started drinking earlier in life. Drug addiction was much more common in this group too. We find support for our hypothesis that the re is a positive correlation between violence in the parental home and assaultive and suicidal behaviour and drug misuse later in life. When violent and non-violent alcoholics are compared many of the same char acteristics appear as when suicidal and non-suicidal and type 2 and ty pe 1 alcoholics are compared. This study raises the question of adding attempted suicide as a characteristic of the type 2 alcoholic.