A COMPARISON OF THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY AND LATE-ONSET ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE

This study was designed to determine whether the prevalences of the DS M-III alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms in 87 early and 73 late onset male alcoholics differ from one another. The authors administered a 19 -item alcohol abuse/dependence symptom checklist with items based on t he DSM-III criteria. Nine of the 19 symptoms were reported significant ly more often in the early than in the late onset alcoholics. Antisoci al behaviors were reported to have been particularly frequent in the e arly onset group.