Addresses problems found in Hesselbrock and associates' (1983) research on assessment of depression in alcoholics. Discusses several problems, including failure to accurately identify depression and lack of an alcohol-use status measure during assessment. A reply from Hesselbrock and associates clarifies methodology used and responds to the…

Randomly assigned 12 amnesiac patients to either an experimental memory training program or to a control program of nonspecific activation. The control group showed the same level of improvement on most measures, and both groups improved significantly on outcome measures that assessed generalization of memory skills. (Author/MCF)

Investigates the referral of subjects (N=7,335) to alcohol treatment. Variables were demographics, drinking pattern, alcohol-related behavior, and pathology. The most important factor in referring to outpatient therapy was employment. Inpatient subjects had heavier prior involvement with alcohol and more severe physical problems. (JAC)

Suggests that although the elderly have not been well identified and assisted in most alcoholism services, they are an at-risk population. Discusses current programs and problems and implications for both alcoholism service providers and the broader spectrum of human, educational and social service providers. (JAC)

Introduces journal issue on adolescent substance abuse. Purpose of issue is to encourage exploration of inadequately researched areas by presenting articles on conceptual models, minority and disabled populations, and treatment which give new perspectives on the field. (CMG)

Investigated self-esteem and purpose in life among 30 alcoholic women, 30 alcoholic men, 30 nonalcoholic women, and 30 nonalcoholic men. Statistical analysis included examination of eight major hypotheses. Results have implications for further research and treatment of female alcoholism. (Author/NB)

The recommended treatment for alcoholism in the past typically has been participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). However, the use of AA on college campuses has not been proven effective. With a new generation comes the opportunity to rethink this approach to the problem of alcohol abuse on campuses and to incorporate new methods in counseling…

Women (N = 171), distressed from their partners' untreated alcoholism, received either coping skills training (CST), 12-step facilitation (TSF), or delayed treatment (DTC). CST and TSF resulted in lower depression levels than DTC but did not differ from one another. Skill acquisition mediated the treatment effects of CST; Al-Anon attendance did…

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantify the relationship between the Five-Factor Model of personality and alcohol involvement and to identify moderators of the relationship. The meta-analysis included 20 studies, 119 effect sizes, and 7,886 participants. Possible moderators examined included: five-factor rating type (self vs. other);…

Psychosocial adjustment in children of alcoholics (COAs; N = 125) was examined before and at 3 follow-ups in the 15 months after their fathers entered alcoholism treatment. Before their fathers' treatment, COAs exhibited greater overall and clinical-level symptomatology than children from the demographically matched comparison sample, but they…

Meta-analyses were conducted to determine the magnitude of relationships between polymorphisms in 2 genes, ALDH2 and ADH1B, with alcohol dependence in Asians. For each gene, possession of 1 variant [asterisk]2 allele was protective against alcohol dependence, and possession of a 2nd [asterisk]2 allele did not offer significant additional…

The author sought to identify differences in kinship social support, self-esteem, and coping responses between African American college students who identify themselves as adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and adult children of nonalcoholics (non-ACOAs) at 2 separate universities. The results indicate that there were no differences in levels of…