Social support structures of women in treatment for alcoholism

The authors in this article explore the weak social support structures of alcoholic women to identify those critical elements that might be usefully attended to in treatment. Data were derived from a comparison between survey questionnaires from 301 alcohol-dependent women and 136 nonalcohol-dependent women. Results showed that alcoholic women reported less social support than their nonalcoholic peers as children and adolescents. Alcoholic women reported less current support than controls; were more likely to be separated or divorced; and described their existing relationships as less happy and less supportive. Additionally, the current study reports that the linking of social support to various aspects of psychological adaptation offers a theoretical base for developing broad-based preventive and treatment interventions.