Alcoholism and Sociopathy

  • Joel Solomon
  • Meredith Hanson
Chapter

Abstract

The relationship between alcoholism or alcohol abuse and sociopathy is more difficult to unravel than most other psychiatric diagnoses. The degree of overlap between the two conditions is remarkable, for many persons diagnosed as sociopaths engage in excessive drinking and many alcohol abusers also exhibit antisocial behavior patterns. The associations between alcohol consumption and aggressive behavior,1–5 criminal activity, 6–9 violent death,10,11 and the family incidence of sociopathy12–14 have been studied widely. Yet, conceptual and diagnostic confusion about the conditions persists.

Keywords

Alcohol Abuse Antisocial Behavior Antisocial Personality Disorder Personality Type Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. 1.
    Bennet RM, Buss AH, Carpenter JA: Alcohol and human physical aggression. Q J Stud Alcohol 30: 870–876, 1969.Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Carpenter JA, Armenti NP: Some effects of ethanol on human sexual and aggressive behavior, in Kissin B, Begleiter H (eds): The Biology of Alcoholism, vol 2, Physiology and Behavior. New York, Plenum Press, 1972, pp 509–543.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Boyatzis RE: The effect of alcohol consumption on the aggressive behavior of men. Q J Stud Alcohol 35: 959–972, 1974.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Mendelson J H, Mello NK: Alcohol, aggression and androgens, in Aggression. Res Publ vol 52. Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease, 1974, pp 225–247.Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    Taylor SP, Gammon CB: Aggressive behavior of intoxicated subjects: The effect of third-party intervention. J Stud Alcohol 37: 917–930, 1976.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Shupe LM: Alcohol and crime: A study of the urine alcohol concentratio rund in 882 persons arrested during or immediately after commission of a felony. J Crim Law Criminol 44: 661–664, 1954.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Wolfgang ME: Patterns of Criminal Homicide. Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1958.Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Goodwin DW: Alcohol in suicide and homicide. Q J Stud Alcohol 34: 144–156, 1973.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Edwards G, Kyle E, Nicholls P: Alcoholics admitted to four hospitals in England, Ill. Criminal records. J Stud Alcohol 38: 1648–1664, 1977.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Haberman PW, Baden MM: Alcohol, Other Drugs and Violent Death. New York, Oxford University Press, 1978.Google Scholar
  11. 11.
    Haberman PW, Baden MW, Alcoholism and violent death. Q J Stud Alcohol 35: 221–231, 1974.Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    Guze S, Wolfgram E, McKinney J: Psychiatric illness in the families of convicted criminals: A study of 519 first degree relatives. Dis New Svst, 28: 651–659, 1967.Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    Winokur G, Reich T, Rimmer J, et al: Alcoholism Ill. Diagnosis and familial psychiatric illness in 259 alcoholic probands. Gen Psychiatrist 23: 104–111, 1970.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Goodwin, DW: Family and adoption studies of alcoholism, in Mednick S, Christiensen KO (eds): Biosocial Bases of Criminal Behavior. New York, Gardner Press, 1977, pp 143–157.Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ed 3 (DSM-I1 I). Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1980.Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    Robins LN: Deviant Children Grown Up. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1966.Google Scholar
  17. 17.
    Hoffman H, Jackson DN, Skinner HA: Dimensions of psychopathology among alcoholic patients. J Stud Alcohol 36: 825–837, 1975.Google Scholar
  18. 18.
    Barnes GE: The alcoholic personality: A reanalysis of the literature. J Stud Alcohol 40: 571–634, 1979.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Barnes GE: Characteristics of the clinical alcoholic personality. J Stud Alcohol 41: 894–910, 1980.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Schuckit MA: Alcoholism and sociopathy-diagnostic confusion. QJ Stud Alcohol 34: 157164, 1973.Google Scholar
  21. 21.
    Podolsky E: The sociopathic alcoholic. Q J Stud Alcohol 21: 292–297, 1960.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Rada RT: Sociopathy and alcohol abuse, in Reid WH (ed): The Psychopath: A Comprehensive Study of Antisocial Disorders and Behaviors. New York, Brunner/ Mazel, 1978, pp 223–234.Google Scholar
  23. 23.
    Criminal Offenders and Drinking Involvement. Publ No 3, State of California Department of Public Health, Division of Alcohol Rehabilitation, 1960.Google Scholar
  24. 24.
    Bartholomew AA: Alcoholism and crime. Aust N Z J Criminol 1: 70–99, 1968.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    Gibbens TC, Silberman M: Alcoholism among prisoners. Psycho! Med 1: 73–78, 1970.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. 26.
    Guze SB, Tuason VB, Gatfield PD, et al: Psychiatric illness and crime with particular reference to alcoholism: A study of 223 criminals. J Nery Ment Dis 134: 512–521, 1962.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Goodwin DW, Crane JB, Guze SB: Felons who drink: An 8 year follow-up. Q J Stud Alcohol 32: 136–147, 1971.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. 28.
    Rosenberg CM: Young alcoholics. Br J Psychiatry 115: 181–188, 1969.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. 29.
    Schuckit M, Rimmer J, Reich T, et al: Alcoholism: Antisocial traits in male alcoholics. Br J Psychiatry 117: 575–576, 1970.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. 30.
    Rimmer J, Reich T, Winokur G: Alcoholism V. Diagnosis and clinical variation among alcoholics. Q J Stud Alcohol 33: 658–666, 1972.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. 31.
    Sutherland E, Cressey D: Principles of Criminology, ed 7. Philadelphia, JB Lippincott, 1966.Google Scholar
  32. 32.
    Lemert EM: Social Pathology. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1951.Google Scholar
  33. 33.
    Becker HS: Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance. New York, The Free Press, 1963.Google Scholar
  34. 34.
    Orford J, Waller S, Peto J: Drinking behavior and attitudes and their correlates among university students in England. Q J Stud Alcohol 35: 1316–1374, 1974.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  35. 35.
    Blane HT, Overton WF, Chafetz ME: Social factors in the diagnosis of alcoholism. I. Characteristics of the patient. Q J Stud Alcohol 24: 640–663, 1963.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  36. 36.
    Wolf I, Chafetz ME, Blane HT, et al: Social factors in the diagnosis of alcoholism. II. Attitudes in physicians. Q J Stud Alcohol 26: 72–79, 1965.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  37. 37.
    Wuthrich P: Social problems of alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol 38: 881–890, 1977.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  38. 38.
    Wolfgang ME: Criminal homicide and the subculture of violence, in Wolfgang ME (ed): Studies in Homicide. New York, Harper & Row, 1967, pp 3–12.Google Scholar
  39. 39.
    Glueck BC: Psychodynamic patterns in the sex offender. Psvchiatr Q 23: 1–21, 1954.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. 40.
    Robins LN, Bates W, O’Neal P: Alcohol drinking patterns of former problem children, in Pittman DJ, Snyder CR (eds): Society, Culture, and Drinking Patterns. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1962, pp 395–412.Google Scholar
  41. 41.
    Glueck S, Glueck E: Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency. New York, The Commonwealth Fund, 1950.Google Scholar
  42. 42.
    Amark C: A study in alcoholism: Clinical, social-psychiatric, and genetic investigations. Acta Psychiatr Scan, suppl no 70, 1951.Google Scholar
  43. 43.
    Frances R, Timms S, Bucky S: Studies in familial and nonfamilial alcoholism. I. Demographic studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37: 564–566, 1980.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. 44.
    Brugger C: Familienunterschungen bei Alkoholdeliranten. Z Gesamte Neurol Psychiatr 151: 740, 1934.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  45. 45.
    Bleuler M: Psychotische Belastung von körperlichen Kranken. Z Gesamte Neurol Psychiatr 142: 780, 1932.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. 46.
    Cloninger CR: The antisocial personality. Hosp Pract, August 1978, pp 97–103, 106.Google Scholar
  47. 47.
    Dahlstrom WG, Welsch GS: An MMPI Handbook. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 1960.Google Scholar
  48. 48.
    Hare RD, Cox DN: Psychophysiological research on psychopathy, in Reid WH (ed): The Psychopath: A Comprehensive Study of Antisocial Disorders and Behaviors. New York, Brunner/ Mazel, 1978, pp 209–222.Google Scholar
  49. 49.
    Miller WR: Alcoholism scales and objectives assessment methods: A review. Psycho! Bull 83: 649–674, 1976.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. 50.
    MacAndrew C, Geertsma RH: An analysis of responses of alcoholics to Scale 4 of the MMPI. QJStud Alcohol 24: 24–38, 1963.Google Scholar
  51. 51.
    Rimmer J, Pitts FN, Reich T, et al: Alcoholism. I1. Sex, socioeconomic status and race in two hospitalized samples. Q J Stud Alcohol 32: 942–952, 1971.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  52. 52.
    Lisansky ES: Alcoholism in women: Social and psychological concomitants. I. Social history data. Q J Stud Alcohol 18: 588–623, 1957.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  53. 53.
    Schuckit MA, Morrissey ER: Alcoholism in women: Some clinical and social perspectives with an emphasis on possible subtypes, in Greenblatt M, Schuckitt MA (eds): Alcoholism Problems in Women and Children. New York, Grune & Stratton, 1976, pp 5–35.Google Scholar
  54. 54.
    Cole KE, Fisher G, Cole SS: Women who kill: A sociopsychological study. Arch Gen Psychiatry 19: 1–3, 1968.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  55. 55.
    Metheson JCM: Alcohol and female homicides. Brit J Inebr 37: 87–90, 1939.Google Scholar
  56. 56.
    Gomberg ES: Problems with alcohol and other drugs, in Gomberg ES, Franks V (eds): Gender and Disordered Behavior. New York, Brunner/ Mazel, 1979, pp 204–240.Google Scholar
  57. 57.
    Wilkinson AE, Prado WM, Williams WO, et al: Psychological test characteristics and length of stay in alcoholism treatment. Q J Stud Alcohol 32: 60–65, 1971.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  58. 58.
    Ross CFJ: Comparison of hospital and prison alcoholics. Brit J Psychiatry 118: 75–78, 1971.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  59. 59.
    Panepinto WC, Higgins MJ, Keane-Dawes WY, et al: Underlying psychiatric diagnosis as an indicator of participation in alcoholism therapy. Q J Stud Alcohol 31: 950–956, 1970.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  60. 60.
    Kissin B: Patient characteristics and treatment specificity in alcoholism, in Recent Advances in the Study of Alcoholism. Exerpta Med, Int Cong Series No 407, Amsterdam, 1977.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Plenum Publishing Corporation 1982

Authors and Affiliations

  • Joel Solomon
    • 1
  • Meredith Hanson
    • 2
  1. 1.Division of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Department of PsychiatryState University of New York, Downstate Medical CenterBrooklynUSA
  2. 2.Division of AlcoholismState University of New York, Downstate Medical CenterBrooklynUSA

Personalised recommendations