Alcohol cue reactivity and mood induction in male and female alcoholics

The purpose of this study was twofold: to investigate gender differences in alcohol cue reactivity, and to study the effect of individualized mood induction on cue reactivity. Male (n = 38) and female (n = 19) alcoholics were exposed to an alcoholic beverage before and after mood induction to assess their reactivity to the beverage cues. The mood induction was based on a situation the subject had identified as being high risk for relapse. Subjects showed urge and salivary reactivity in response to alcohol beverage cues prior to mood induction, and the induction of mood enhanced urge reactivity in both men and women. Analyses with alcohol urge reactors (subjects that demonstrate an increased urge to drink alcohol in response to an alcoholic beverage cue) suggested that women show more urge reactivity in response to negative moods than do men. No gender differences were seen in reactivity to beverage cues alone. These results identify an important gender difference in the effect of negative moods on cue reactivity and suggest that negative mood situations may place women at a higher risk for relapse than men.     

Empathic accuracy in the interactions of male friends versus male strangers.

In unstructured interactions, male friends were found to be more accurate than male strangers in inferring each other's thoughts and feelings. Plausible reasons for this difference were that friends (1) interacted more and exchanged more information, (2) had more similar personalities and therefore more rapport with each other, and (3) had more detailed knowledge of each other's lives. Data confirmed that the friends did indeed interact more and were more similar in their sociability than the strangers; however, these differences did not account for the friends' greater empathic accuracy. Instead, this was primarily attributable to a difference in knowledge structures, namely, the friends' ability to accurately read their partners' thoughts and feelings about imagined events in another place or time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Field dependence among male and female alcoholics: II. Norms for the rod-and-frame test

402 males and 160 females hospitalized for treatment of alcoholism were tested in a standardized manner on the Rod-and-frame test as a means of supplementing an earlier report of normative data on perceptual style among male alcoholics. When their performance was contrasted with that of normal and psychiatric samples, alcoholics were clearly the most field dependent of all groups studied. Statistically significant sex differences justify the need for separate norms for males and females.     

Preferences of prison inmates for male versus female institutional personnel.

Preferences of 4 categories of California prison inmates (139 male felons, 81 male civil addicts, 77 female felons, and 89 female civil addicts) for institutional employees of the same sex vs the opposite sex were examined for 49 staff roles and functions. Although most comparisons suggest either neutrality or a tendency to favor opposite-sex personnel, a trend appeared to reflect common sex role stereotypes. There was considerable variability in Ss' responses. Felons, especially males, tended to be less accepting of cross-sex employee assignments than civilly committed narcotic addicts, particularly in regard to duties that involve intrusion on the physical privacy of inmates. It is suggested that the attitudes of prisoners, as well as other aspects of institutional social climates, should be assessed periodically, both in planning for specific changes and in attempting to maintain custodial environments that are maximally responsive to the legitimate needs of inmates. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital interactions of depressed men and women.

This article examined marital interactions in 50 couples with a depressed husband, 41 couples with a depressed wife, and 50 nondepressed control couples. As expected, couples with a depressed partner evidenced more disturbed marital interaction than control couples. Furthermore, couples with a depressed wife demonstrated less positive communication than couples with a depressed husband, notwithstanding the fact the depressed husbands exhibited greater depression severity than depressed wives. Findings are integrated with recent research on gender differences in affective expression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of random versus nonrandom assignment in a comparison of inpatient and day hospital rehabilitation for male alcoholics.

Alcoholic patients randomly assigned to day hospital or inpatient rehabilitation were compared with patients who self-selected these treatment settings to examine differences in substance use and psychosocial outcomes under experimental and nonexperimental designs. Patients who self-selected treatment did not have better outcomes than those who were randomly assigned, and there were no significant differences between day hospital patients and inpatients on any of the 11 outcome measures. Significant interactions between treatment setting and assignment were found with only 2 outcome measures. Therefore, the comparisons between day hospital and inpatient treatment yielded similar outcomes under both "scientific" conditions and the conditions that more closely approximate the experiences of most patients. Implications for the use of nonrandomized participants in alcoholism treatment research and limitations of the study were also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors associated with marital aggression in male alcoholics.

Male alcoholics who were physically aggressive toward their wives in the year before alcoholism treatment (n?=?71) were compared with nonaggressive counterparts (n?=?36). Two key patterns were associated with marital aggression: (a) binge drinking linked with coercive marital conflicts and (b) markers of a severe early onset alcoholism syndrome. Maritally aggressive men were younger and exhibited more binge drinking, higher prevalence of arrest, more verbal aggression, greater alcohol problem severity, earlier alcohol problem onset, more alcoholism among male biological relatives, less maternal alcohol use, less confidence in their ability to manage interpersonal conflict without drinking, and stronger beliefs that alcohol causes marital problems. Marital adjustment levels were not associated with marital aggression, and very few differences were found between moderate and severe violence groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of alcohol on sexual arousal in male alcoholics.

During successive daily sessions, each of 8 29–44 yr old chronic male alcoholics received, in counterbalanced order, doses of beverage alcohol (.08, .4, .8, and 1.2 g/kg) prior to viewing nonerotic and erotic films. Measures of penile tumescence obtained by means of a penile plethysmograph showed a significant negative linear effect of increasing alcohol doses during the heterosexual and homosexual films. Ss' expectations about the effect of alcohol on sexual arousal and behavior were discrepant with these physiological findings. Consistently, Ss reported that alcohol would have no effect on their sexual arousal or would increase it. Results are discussed with reference to other studies, and it is concluded that penile tumescence is a convenient, reliable, and discriminating measure of male sexual arousal. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study on sexual dysfunction in female patients with alcoholics

Few investigations have been made concerning hormonal changes and dyspareunia in fertile aged women with alcoholics experiencing sexual dysfunction. Twenty-seven Japanese woman with alcoholics under 40 years of age excluded with liver cirrhosis were studied to describe alcohol drinking related to sexual dysfunction. Among 21 sexually active women, 20(95.2%) had both symptoms of dyspareunia and vaginal dryness, and only one had neither symptom. Most of patients have lower estradiol levels and 92.0% of patients have the moderately elevated prolactin levels. Eleven of them were having the second grade amenorrhea associated with hyperprolactinemia and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and 14 were having the first grade amenorrhea. In this study alcoholic abuse women may have deeply related to the hyperprolactinemia, dyspareunia, amenorrhoea, vaginal dryness, ovarian dysfunction and fetal alcohol syndrome.     

Neuropsychological impairment in female alcoholics: Replication and extension.

In 2 separate studies, female alcoholics (N?=?50) performed significantly poorer on 12 neuropsychological tests (e.g., the WAIS and the Bender-Gestalt Test) than female nonalcoholic controls (N?=?50). The pattern of deficit was consistent across studies and similar to that reported for male alcoholics: intact verbal skills but impaired nonverbal abstracting, visual-spatial, and problem-solving abilities. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Discriminant analysis of MMPI profiles for demographic classifications of male alcoholics

White leghorn cockerels of the same age with combs of about equal size and raised under identical conditions were injected with melatonin, 5-methoxytryptophol, or with 5-methoxytryptophol in combination with melatonin. Melatonin, injected in animals with small comb sizes, has no effect on testicular growth, whereas an inhibiting effect is noticed in animals with larger comb sizes. The 5-methoxytryptophol treated animals demonstrated stimulated testicular growth, which can be interpreted as an acceleration of the rhythm of growth. The stimulatory effect on testicular growth is more distinct if 5-methoxytryptophol is injected in combination with melatonin.     

Effects of chronic morphine treatment on responding for intracranial stimulation in female versus male rats.

Morphine was administered to Sprague-Dawley rats twice daily at 0, 3, 10, and 20 mg/kg injection during Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively; responding for medial forebrain bundle stimulation was assessed 1, 2, and 3 hr after morning injections in female versus male rats. There were no sex differences in responding under control conditions (Week 1). Morphine's effect on response rate depended on dose, time post-injection, stimulation frequency, and day of treatment. Significant sex differences in morphine's effects occurred at 10 mg/kg, which decreased responding more in males at 1 hr and increased responding more in females at 2 hr, at some frequencies and on some test days. Similar trends were observed at other frequencies, test days, and doses. Morphine's differential effect in males versus females in this procedure suggests that sex comparisons of opioid effects in many animal models may be influenced by sex difference in opioid effects on behavior output. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cue reactivity as a predictor of drinking among male alcoholics.

Social learning theories suggest that conditioned responses may increase the risk for relapse. Responses to alcohol use cues (cue reactivity) are associated with variables suggestive of risk but little research exists on the relationship of cue reactivity to treatment outcome. Alcoholic men admitted for detoxification to a treatment program (n?=?45) underwent a cue reactivity assessment protocol, and 91% received 3-mo follow-up interviews. Greater salivary reactivity predicted greater frequency of drinking during follow-up. Attentional factors added independent variance to the prediction of drinking outcome, with greater attention to stimulus or to response predicting less drinking. Cue reactivity did not predict length of hospital stay or latency to first drink. Results are discussed in the context of information processing, social learning theories, and clinical implications for relapse prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inherited predisposition to alcoholism: Characteristics of sons of male alcoholics.

Sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) are at markedly heightened genetic risk for the development of alcohol abuse. Study of SOMAs could therefore conceivably increase the efficiency of research aimed at uncovering those heritable factors that predispose to alcoholism. SOMAs manifest observable behavioral, cognitive, and psychophysiological abnormalities while sober and react idiosyncratically to alcohol intoxication. They are most commonly described as conduct disordered and hyperactive, appear heir to a variety of deficits in verbal and abstract cognition, and perform more poorly in the academic environment. SOMAs are characterized by abnormal patterns of cued psychophysiological response, and appear more sensitive to the putatively reinforcing aspects of alcohol intoxication. Various methodological weaknesses permeate the relevant literature. Some straightforward improvements are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Long-term effects of behavioral versus insight-oriented therapy with inpatient alcoholics.

Assessed the relative effects of behavioral treatment involving both covert sensitization and relaxation training vs insight-oriented treatment consisting of transactional analysis (TA) with 113 male and female alcoholic inpatients (21–73 yrs). Ss were assigned in randomized blocks to 1 of 4 groups: (a) milieu treatment control group or 1 of 3 experimental groups, each of which included the milieu treatment, (b) behavioral group, (c) TA group, (d) combined group, involving both TA and behavioral treatment. Four-year follow-up interviews yielded data on the Quantity Frequency Index scale, abstinence, and an overall clinical adjustment scale for 5 posttreatment periods. Differences between behavioral and TA treatment were significant or approached significance at 6 mo and 1? yrs after treatment, but not thereafter. Strong and consistent trends were evident favoring the behavioral approach on all 3 measures across all 5 follow-up periods. The strength of the milieu treatment was also supported, and the need for long-term follow-up studies beyond 6 mo is stressed. (70 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of drinking outcomes for male alcoholics after 10 to 14 years

This study reports on the long-term outcomes of 360 men who were hospitalized for alcoholism during 1980 to 1984 and followed at 12 months and again 10 to 14 years later. At the 10/14-year follow-up, 96 (26.7%) men were confirmed as deceased; 255 (70.8%) men participated in the assessment/interview battery completed during baseline hospitalization. The battery consisted of psychosocial, alcohol-related, and psychiatric measures. Two distinct but highly correlated outcome measures were selected: a clinical rating scale and a factor score. Overall, predictors from baseline and 12-month follow-up included age at intake hospitalization, alcoholism severity, social stability, drinking days, and antisocial personality disorder. Approximately 37% of the assessed survivors were either totally abstinent or drinking nonabusively throughout the 10/14-year follow-up, whereas another 37% continued to drink abusively. Men who abstained or reduced alcohol intake reported better physical health at follow-up than those who continued to drink. Although our findings did not directly link alcoholism to death, they strongly indicate that chronic alcohol abuse may lead to premature death.     

Intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning among middle-aged female adult children of alcoholics.

Examined group differences among a middle-aged, middle-class, community sample (N?=?616) of female adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and female non-ACOAs with regard to features of intra- and interpersonal functioning. Consistent with previous research, ACOAs reported higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem. ACOAs also reported lower levels of perceived social support, family cohesion, and marital satisfaction and higher levels of marital conflict. ACOAs also indicated more parental role distress and perceived themselves as more powerless than non-ACOAs to control the actions of their offspring. ACOAs were more likely to drink for coping purposes (e.g., to relieve stress), although their level of alcohol consumption did not differ significantly from that of non-ACOAs. Although consistent differences were indicated between groups, ACOAs were still functioning in the nonpathological range on all measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Normative data on locus of control in male alcoholics undergoing treatment.

Studies relating locus of control to alcoholic populations have not been definitive due to the potential nonhomogeneity of alcoholic subgroups and the lack of normative data for any alcoholic population. Consequently, an alcoholic could be defined as internally oriented in one study, externally oriented in another. To permit comparison within or across subgroups, normative data were gathered from 10 studies utilizing Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale with male alcoholics undergoing treatment (a total of 835 Ss). Results of these studies indicated that a score of 6 or below defined the internally controlled alcoholic, 7 or above, the externally controlled alcoholic. The distribution of locus of control scores did not differ significantly from a normal distribution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sequential interactions among episodic and steady alcoholics and their wives.

Previous work by the authors has suggested that alcohol's impact on the marital functioning of alcoholics is influenced by the drinking pattern of the alcoholic. This article addresses whether alcohol differentially influences the sequential interactions of episodic and steady alcoholics and their wives. Log-linear analyses examined antecedent-consequence patterns for the 30 steady and 19 episodic alcoholics and their wives reported on by T. Jacob and K. E. Leonard (1988). These couples participated in marital interactions during a drink night and a no-drink night. The results suggested minimal differences between episodic and steady alcoholics or between no-drink and drink night. Wives of episodic alcoholics tended to decrease their negative reactions to husband problem solving on drink versus no-drink night. Wives of steady alcoholics tended to decrease their negative reactions to husband negativity on drink night. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)