Are there empirically supported and clinically useful subtypes of alcohol dependence?

AIMS

This paper provides an overview of several multidimensional empirically derived typologies of alcohol use disorders that have been derived primarily for research purposes in relation to their clinical utility.

METHODS

Studies using multivariate statistical methods for identifying homogeneous groups of subjects were selected for inclusion. Theoretically based typologies were not included in this review.

RESULTS

While formal diagnostic criteria typically identify separate categories of alcohol abuse and dependence, several studies using different statistical methods consistently suggest as many as four homogeneous types of alcoholism: a chronic/severe type, a depressed/anxious type, a mildly affected type and an antisocial type.

CONCLUSIONS

Even though the longitudinal outcomes of few empirically derived subtypes have been examined, alcoholism typologies remain a viable and potentially valuable tool for investigating etiological pathways, the effectiveness of treatments and the long-term course of alcohol use disorders.