Implications of cultural patterning for the delivery of alcoholism services. Case studies

The significance of culturally patterned attitudes and behaviors in "alcoholic families" has rarely been acknowledged by researchers or by clinicians. This paper has described a specific population of families at high risk for alcohol problems, and has presented specific directives for the planning and delivery of services. The findings suggest that to understand the role of alcohol use in this population and to plan and implement effective clinical services to meet critical needs, historical and cultural features must be taken into account. Detailed knowledge of family life-style is characteristically not gathered by care providers within the traditional clinical context. Thus a model for a multidisciplinary team constituted by an anthropologist-researcher and clinician is suggested in such very complex and problematic areas of health concern as alcohol misuse. In this manner sociocultural information may contribute significantly to more effective efforts in the planning and delivery of services.