Alcohol-dependent men and women in detoxification: some comparisons

Alcohol-dependent women undergoing detoxification treatment in psychiatric wards are compared to men with respect to sociodemographic and treatment-oriented variables. For these comparisons, patient documentation from all psychiatric hospitals in one large West German city were analyzed. Representativeness is shown by data of the general population of corresponding age. Findings are presented in relation to data of long-term inpatient therapy. Results show that the detoxified women are socially less poorly integrated than men and suggest that our common ideas about a drinking career are based on experience with male alcoholics.