Alcoholic men endorse more DSM-IV withdrawal symptoms than alcoholic women matched in drinking history

Given gender differences in alcohol metabolism, drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems, we asked whether men and women recruited for research protocols from treatment programs would meet different subsets of alcohol dependence or withdrawal criteria or differ in current level of functioning.

The subjects were 66 men and 62 women meeting DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence. Gender differences were tested infrequency counts of criteria endorsed and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores.

All seven alcohol dependence criteria were endorsed by 50% of the sample. There were no significant gender differences in frequency of individual criteria endorsed. However, more men than women tended to endorse the withdrawal criterion for alcohol dependence and the tremor criterion for alcohol withdrawal, whereas women had higher GAF scores. When subgroups of men and women were matched on alcohol consumption variables, significantly more men than women endorsed the withdrawal criterion for alcohol dependence and the anxiety criterion for alcohol withdrawal, and women still had significantly higher GAF scores than men.

DSM criteria provide a similar characterization of alcohol dependence in male and female research volunteers. Despite this similarity, the DSM criteria were sensitive to gender differences, which can now be challenged with rigorous testing.