The impact of sex-role conflict among females has been an issue of concern in both the sports arena and the field of alcoholism. This study explored the similarities in sex-role conflict between female athletes and alcoholic women. Subjects were 30 female inpatients of a chemical dependency treatment center; 30 undergraduate students; and 30 intercollegiate female athletes from university baseball, track, and basketball teams. Subjects completed the Personal Attributes Questionnaire on two consecutive administrations, once describing their "real" behavior and once describing their "ideal" deportment. The results indicated that female athletes and female alcoholics were similar to each other and different from controls along the dimensions of sex-role conflict. A literature review revealed parallels between female athletes and female alcoholics in the areas of feminine socialization, power needs, competition, and sensation-seeking which also differentiated them from women in general. These findings suggest that female athletes may be more susceptible to alcoholism and chemical dependency than is the average individual. Personnel dedicated to the development of female athletes should be apprised of the many parallels between female athletes and female alcoholics and the danger this resemblance represents. Early and ongoing intervention is recommended. (Author/NB)