PROBLEM DRINKERS

• NCJ Number: 7334
• Author(s): D CAHALAN
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 202 pages
• Sale Source: Joint Venture
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

STUDY CONDUCTED TO FIND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN TYPES OF DRINKING AND SPECIFIC PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL INTAKE.

Abstract

THE AUTHORS ALSO ATTEMPT TO DEFINE, IDENTIFY AND PREDICT PROBLEM DRINKING. THE STUDY IS BASED ON A 1964 NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE HOUSEHOLD POPULATION, AND A 1967 FOLLOW-UP SURVEY OF THE SAME SAMPLE. THE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT A SURPRISING PERCENTAGE OF PROBLEM DRINKERS ARE IN THEIR EARLY TWENTIES RATHER THAN THEIR LATE THIRTIES OR FORTIES, AS PREVIOUSLY ASSUMED. NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF ANY UNIFORM ALCOHOLIC OR PROBLEM DRINKER PERSONALITY. THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM SEEM TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ROLE FACTORS. FLUCTUATIONS IN DRINKING HABITS ARE APPARENT AND CHANGES DO OCCUR, THESE CHANGES BEING RELATED TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S STATUS AND EXPERIENCE. THE AUTHOR PROPOSES AN OPERANT CONDITIONING APPROACH TO TREATMENT FOCUSING AND MODIFYING THE SUBJECT'S MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR AND HIS ENVIRONMENT. (SNI ABSTRACT)