Alcohol Use and Dependency in Youth: Examining DSM-III Diagnostic Criteria (From Perspectives on Adolescent Drug Use, P 145-170, 1989, Bernard Segal, ed. -- See NCJ-125644)

• NCJ Number: 125651
• Author(s): W F Filstead; D P Parrella; J M Conlin
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 26 pages
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined DSM-III alcoholism criteria and final diagnostic classification in a sample of youth and adults who were about to begin inpatient treatment for alcohol and/or substance abuse.

Abstract

The sample included 600 adults and 95 youth admitted during 1986 and 1987 to alcohol and substance abuse treatment facilities. Study findings revealed differences between adults and youth in the percentage of subjects endorsing several of the criterion indicators used to derive the DSM-III alcoholism diagnosis. For the most part, a larger percentage of adults experienced alcohol-related disturbances, but the high level of item endorsement among youth was surprising. On the average, youth endorsed fewer DSM-III criterion items than adults. The incidence of alcohol dependency, as measured by diagnostic classification, was lower for youth than for adults. About 76 percent of youth were diagnosed as either alcohol-abusing or alcohol-dependent, as compared to 86 percent of adults. Researchers speculate that the figures for both groups would have been higher had the sample been restricted to individuals seeking treatment for alcohol problems only. In addition, it is suggested that the heavy emphasis DSM-III places on physiological indicators tolerance and withdrawal may be misleading in the case of youth, since these indicators were less prevalent among youth in the sample. 26 references, 6 tables.