THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SEVERITY OF DSM-III-R ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE AND MEDICAL AND SOCIAL-CONSEQUENCES

This paper describes the relationship between severity of dependence a nd medical and social consequences in a clinincal sample. Respondents constitute a sample of 219 men and 162 women interviewed in nine alcoh ol programs in a Northern California county. Results suggest that the number of dependence indicators reported by respondents is a valid ind icator of severity of alcohol dependence, and that there is a positive relationship between the number of indicators and the number of medic al and social consequences reported by respondents. When specific medi cal and social consequences are examined, an analysis restricted to me n only, the number of dependence indicators is associated with stomach , heart and liver problems, DTs, hallucinations, public drunkenness, f amily arguments and serious accidents, but it is not associated with d runk driving arrests and job problems.