[Chronic alcoholism and antisociality: examination of some socioeconomic conditions]

In this report the Authors are concerned with the important phenomenon of a number of alcohol addicts being present in most psychiatric hospitals. This phenomenon is viewed on the social and economic background which in characteristic of the Lecce psychiatric hospital (a background marked by notable migratory movements, massive industrialisation, chaotic urbanisation, etc.). A particular emphasis is given to the relationships, still debated in literature, between chronic alcoholism and antisocial behaviour on the basis of the examination of some social and economical data. Lasely, a different organisation of the psychiatric system of assistence and even of the general sanitary social service is proposed as necessary in consideration of the serious social implications connected with the problem.