Female alcoholic subtypes : some clinical and social implications

Classifying subtypes is widely accepted in alcoholics research on males. Female alcoholics are largely investigated as a homogenous group. Furthermore, the literature indicates that female alcoholics are more psychologically disturbed than male alcoholics. The present study was set up to investigate these issues. Twenty-nine white female alcoholic in-patients at a specialist hospital for alcoholics were tested on Cattell's 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF), the Hostility Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ) and the Semantic Differential (SD). Subjects were mostly from the lower-middle class with a mean age of 45,45. Subjects were assigned to one of three groups: Gamma, Delta and Intermediate as defined by Jellinek (1960) using Walton's criteria (1968) of Gamma/Delta alcoholism. It was hypothesized that there would be intergroup differences on all of the above measures. The Symptom Sign Inventory (SSI) was used to compare the degree of psychological disturbance on the above groups with an age-matched sample of male alcoholic in-patients on criteria of neuroticism, psychoticism and personal disturbance. The female gamma group had a higher Total Hostility (p < ,01) Extrapunitiveness (p < ,01) and Intrapunitiveness score (p < 05) than the female delta group. However, the three female subgroups did not differ from each other on the personality factors (16 PF), nor on measures of the perceptions of self (SD). In addition, no differences were found between the sexes in the manifestation of psychological disturbance; although a high proportion of subjects revealed psychological disturbance (SSI).

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

1978

Author dc:creator

• Robins, Cecilia Kay

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• De Wet, J

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18088

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18088