Biomedical subjects

K K Bucholz

Publications and source records attributed to K K Bucholz.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

The risk of alcohol abuse and dependence in adulthood: the association with educational level.

In this analysis of prospectively gathered data, the authors sought to estimate the degree to which risk of alcohol abuse and dependence might be elevated among adults who attended but did not complete high school and among those who attended college without earning a degree. Study subjects were selected in 1980-1984 by taking probability samples of adult household residents at five sites of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program: New Haven, Connecticut; Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Durham-Piedmont, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California. At baseline, participants completed standardized interviews that measured sociodemographic variables and assessed whether they had met diagnostic criteria for currently or formerly active alcohol abuse-dependence syndromes. The interviews were readministered 1 year later to identify incident cases among the 13,673 participants. After subjects were sorted into risk sets by age and residence census tract and after persons with a prior history of alcohol abuse or dependence were excluded, there were in 156 risk sets 160 incident cases and 526 subjects at risk for future occurrence of alcohol syndromes. Compared with adults who had earned a college degree, those who had attended high school without completion were at increased risk (relative risk (RR) = 6.23, 95 percent confidence interval (CI) 2.41-16.09) as were adults who had attended college without earning a degree (RR = 3.25, 95 percent CI 1.36-7.76). In contrast, risk of alcohol disorders among adults with a high school diploma but no college was not reliably greater than the level of risk for those with a college degree (RR = 1.88, 95 percent CI 0.79-4.47).

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Comparison of Composite International Diagnostic Interview and clinical DSM-III-R criteria checklist diagnoses.

This article describes a comparison of Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) diagnostic results and results based on clinicians' observation of CIDI assessments. Psychiatrists scored a DSM-III-R criteria checklist either while observing or after administering 20 CIDI interviews. Overall diagnostic concordance between the checklist and CIDI diagnoses was found to be good (kappa = 0.78). Good diagnostic agreement was also found for 3 groups of DSM-III-R disorders: depressive disorders (kappa = 0.84), psychoactive substance use disorders (kappa = 0.83) and anxiety phobic disorders (kappa = 0.76). These results are consistent with the results from a similar comparison between the CIDI and checklist results for ICD-10 diagnoses.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed1992

When do alcoholics first discuss drinking problems?

Data from a sample of 338 alcoholics who were identified from medical record reviews and diagnosed as alcohol dependent according to DSM-III criteria by means of a structured psychiatric interview were analyzed to determine when in the course of alcohol disorder development first discussion with a health professional about their drinking problems had occurred. The data support an image of alcoholics as experiencing many drinking problems before seeking professional help and, particularly, before attending AA. These data point to early identification as a possible fruitful strategy to alleviate some of the social costs of drinking problems.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Performance of two forms of a computer psychiatric screening interview: version I of the DISSI.

This study reports on the performance of two forms of version I of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) computer screening interview, using the traditional interviewer-administered DIS (T-DIS) as the standard. The screening interview was either self-administered (called the S-DISSI) with the subject keying in responses, or interviewer-administered (I-DISSI), with the interviewer keying in the subject's responses. Sensitivity and specificity for both forms were ample (excluding antisocial personality), ranging from 60% to 100% for sensitivity and 54% to 95% for specificity. Concordances with the T-DIS were similar for both forms of the screening interview, ranging from .10 to .87 and compared favorably to those reported by other investigators. The I-DISSI took on average 30 min less than either the T-DIS and S-DISSI. Since the performances of both versions were equivalent, the decision to use either may be based on available resources and characteristics of the study population.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Alcoholism, antisocial behavior and family history.

Previous investigations in selected and clinical samples have demonstrated a close association between alcoholism and both antisocial behavior and a family history of problem drinking. This study uses the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA) data to assess this relationship in the general population in St. Louis, Missouri (U.S.A.). The results showed that serious antisocial behavior (both conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder), gender, and a family history of problem drinking were all significantly associated with alcoholism (DSM-III alcohol abuse or dependence). Having either conduct disorder, antisocial personality, or a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) with problem drinking increased the probability of alcoholism; being male also increased its probability. Antisocial behavior and gender interacted in that antisocial behavior was a more potent risk factor for women than for men. However, despite their close association with alcoholism, having either antisocial personality or a positive family history of problem drinking identified only 49% of male alcoholics and 14% of female alcoholics. Thus, these two important predictors of alcoholism would be somewhat inefficient screeners for primary prevention. More investigation is needed to understand the development of alcoholism in those without these major risk factors and the lack of alcoholism in those with them.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

A review of correlates of alcohol use and alcohol problems in adolescence.

The literature on correlates of adolescent alcohol use has generally identified similar correlates, despite differences in types of populations studied, definitions of both alcohol use and potential correlates, and time periods over which use is assessed. Still at issue, however, is the relative importance of each correlate. This chapter summarizes the principal findings from recent literature about demographic, social, and psychiatric correlates of adolescent alcohol use. Given that part of an effective national antidrug policy will be curbing society's appetite for drugs, which begins in adolescence and in which alcohol plays a large role, it is a propitious time to call for more intensive inquiry into the mechanisms underlying the above-identified correlates of adolescent alcohol use.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Influence of nondepressive psychiatric symptoms on whether patients tell a doctor about depression.

The authors studied the other recent psychiatric symptoms of 218 subjects who reported having had depressive episodes within the past year to determine the influence of the nondepressive symptoms on whether the subjects discussed the depressive episodes with a doctor. Symptoms of panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders encouraged discussion of a depressive episode, but symptoms of drug abuse/dependence inhibited such discussion. The findings illustrate the bias in studying only patients who seek treatment, point to groups of persons who may need psychiatric help, and provide insight into the complex process of help seeking.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Who talks to a doctor about existing depressive illness?

Data on respondents from household and institutional samples from the St. Louis Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study who reported a depressive spell within the last year were analyzed to determine the type of recent depressive symptoms, sociodemographic and personal characteristics related to recent discussion with a doctor about depressive illness. Symptoms of lost appetite or substantial weight loss, being female and separated or widowed, and not using the Emergency Room as a usual source of care encouraged a recent discussion. Comparison with findings from studies of general mental health services use suggests that influences on help-seeking may vary across psychiatric disorders.

Depressive Disorder↗