Three clusters of male alcoholics.

Abstract

The study comprises 296 male alcoholics in whom detailed studies of family history, clinical factors, psychopathology of dependence as well as psychological and neurophysiological tests were made. On the basis of five clinical factors: age of onset of dependence, history of familial alcoholism, severity of alcohol-related problems and the prevalence of psychiatric and somatic diseases, K-means cluster analysis delineated three types of alcoholics. Type 1 was characterized by late onset of dependence, low prevalence of familial alcoholism and mild course. Type 2 was characterized by early onset of dependence, high familial alcoholism in fathers, frequent antisocial personality, severe intensity of alcohol-related problems. Type 3 was characterized by early onset of dependence, familial history of psychiatric diseases, severe intensity of alcohol-related problems and high prevalence of psychiatric disturbances and somatic diseases. Type 3 may be characterized as alcoholism associated with high predisposition and comorbidity. This may make a distinct type of male alcoholics.