Gender differences in the manifestations of problem drinking in a community sample.

A probability sample of 6,250 respondents in Ontario and Quebec was surveyed by telephone to determine the prevalence of problem drinking and its relationship to other psychiatric symptoms. The survey instrument included a psychiatric symptom inventory and questions relating to problem drinking that were adapted from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. This survey found a rate of 7.1% for problem drinking which parallels other recent community surveys. Rates for men are approximately six times greater than for women. A significant proportion (18.5%) of problem drinkers have concurrent psychiatric impairment. The extent and nature of concurrent psychiatric impairment and disability differs significantly for men and women.