Differentiation of alcoholics high and low in childhood hyperactivity

Fifty alcoholics who reported a greater number of childhood hyperactivity/minimum brain damage (MBD) symptoms (HA+ alcoholics) were compared to 49 alcoholics low in childhood hyperactivity/MBD (HA- alcoholics) with respect to patterns and severity of alcoholism, psychosocial functioning and physical status, personality and psychopathology, and familial alcoholism. HA+ alcoholics were found to report considerably more psychopathology on the MMPI and the Psychopathic State Inventory (PSI), findings which were suggestive of an underlying personality disorder. HA+ alcoholics were also found to differ significantly from the HA- alcoholics in several areas of psychosocial functioning and with respect to their pattern of alcoholism. That is, HA+ alcoholics had more interpersonal difficulties and had experienced more psychological/emotional problems; they were more likely to use alcohol to alter their moods and to use non-alcoholic illicit drugs; and they had less ability to internalize control of their impulses to consume alcohol. These findings, taken together, suggest that alcoholics reporting more symptoms of childhood hyperactivity/MBD may represent a subgroup within the larger alcoholic population. High and low hyperactivity alcoholics did not differ in severity of alcoholism or in alcohol-related physical effects or medical problems. Additionally, no evidence was obtained for a significant relationship between childhood hyperactivity and familial alcoholism.