[Remarks on the value of psychological efficiency diagnostics for the diagnosis and therapy of alcoholism--response to Szewczyk on our "Chronic alcoholism and psychological efficiency"].

For a clarification of different viewpoints with respect to the importance of efficiency-diagnostic studies in chronic alcoholism, First the question is studied whether there is a common basis of judgement with Szewczyk. On the basis of examples it is shown that there is no agreement with regard to essential facts and contrary conclusions are drawn. The necessity of efficiency-psychological studies of the amnestic psychosyndrome as a constituting components of alcoholic changes of the personality is, for example, derived from diagnostic and therapeutical questions concerning the degree of severity and the pattern of the course of the disease. In progressing alcoholism, the constituting component "amnestic psychosyndrome" is frequently the dominating component in the sense of a pronounced organic psychosyndrome. After long-term abstinence, remarkable improvements of cognitive performances have been found with differentiating efficiency-diagnostic methods. From these facts alone the conclusion can be drawn that there is a wide range of indications for efficiency-diagnostic longitudinal and cross-sectional studies in chronic alcoholics.