Typologies in alcoholism: an overview

There seems to be a growing consensus that the differential outcome associated with alcoholism suggests different prognoses of specific subgroupings of alcoholic patients. This paper is a review of the literature of proposed typologies based upon drinking history, psychopathology, neuropsychological assessment, and family pedigree, with implications for theories of etiology, approaches to treatment, and research methodology. It should serve as an introduction to the series of papers which will follow.