Clinical significance of Cloninger's classification in a sample of alcoholic Spanish men

To evaluate Cloninger's classification in a sample of alcoholic Spanish men.

A cross-sectional study was carried out on subjects diagnosed as alcoholics.

Out-patient units specializing in the treatment of alcoholics and the psychiatry unit of a general hospital.

One hundred and ninety-eight males diagnosed as alcoholics. The mean age was 44.4 +/- 11.6 years and 98% were from urban areas.

Participants were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R(SCID). They were classified using type 1 and type 2 criteria of Cloninger's classification.

Only one-third of our sample could be classified by Cloninger's type 1 and type 2 criteria. Patients classified as belonging to type 2 had an earlier onset of regular drinking compared to type 1 patients. Type 2 subjects presented a higher percentage of alcohol-related problems as well as problems related to drugs other than alcohol and they also presented a higher percentage of antisocial personality disorder. No differences in alcoholism family history were found between the groups. Criteria showing the poorest discriminative ability between both groups were "failure to keep abstinent" and "benders lasting at least two days".

Our results do not support Cloninger's etiological hypotheses for alcoholism. Cultural differences may be responsible for the different drinking patterns observed.