DSM-IV alcohol dependence in a treatment sample of white, black, and Mexican-American men

This study examines the presentation, correlates, and factor structure of DSM-IV alcohol dependence among 256 White, 263 Black, and 212 Mexican-American men admitted consecutively to five alcohol treatment programs in San Jose, CA. Interviews of approximately 1 hr were conducted in the programs' facilities by trained interviewers using a standardized questionnaire. The response rate was 87%. Results show that the proportion of Black respondents who are alcohol-dependent according to the DSM-IV criteria is lower (63%) than the proportion of Whites (86%) and Mexican Americans (76%). However, the proportion of respondents reporting each criterion of dependence was similar across groups. The most powerful predictor of the number of dependence indicators reported by respondents was level of alcohol consumption, independent of ethnicity. A unidimensional model of dependence combining all seven indicators of DSM-IV alcohol dependence fit well across men in all three ethnic groups. These results indicate that both the presentation and factorial structure of DSM-IV alcohol dependence were uniform across White, Black and Mexican-American men in treatment for alcohol problems.