[Can sex differences in the psychiatric institution career of alcoholics be identified?]

All patients residing in the catchment area ("sector") of the Psychiatric Clinic of Hanover Medical School who had been hospitalized due to alcoholism or drug dependence for the first time in their lifes and had been discharged over the period January 1, 1973, to December 31, 1978, were followed through December 31, 1979. Age was the major determinant of rehospitalization. Patients up to age 40 were rehospitalized more frequently than patients 40 and over. Sex differences in the psychiatric institutional career of alcoholics were small and inconsistent. A relatively large probability of rehospitalization was noted for men and women with high occupational status, failed to reach significance, however. This might be due to confounding by age but together with results of other studies also supports the notion that societal role expectations determine the psychiatric institutional careers of alcoholics.