Clinical Psychology Associates of North =
Central
Florida P.A.
Providing Quality Psychological Consultation, Assessment and
Psychotherapy to the North Central Florida
Community
2121 NW 40th=
Terr.
Ste B. Gainesville FL 32605 =
=
352-336-2888 =
=
CP=
ANCF.COM
Are alcohol problems th=
e same
for men and women?
Sex differences in alcohol abuse and dependence
=
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; =
by
Kay Hurlock, Psy.D., Clinical Psychology Associates of North Central
Florida, P.A.
·
<=
span
style=3D'color:navy'>Are there gender differences in rates of alcohol use a=
nd abuse?
o&nb=
sp;
=
Alcohol
Dependence and Abuse comprise one of the most common disorders.<=
/span>
o&nb=
sp;
=
Males
are generally twice to five times as likely to experience alcohol abuse or
dependence.
o&nb=
sp;
=
Recent
research indicates a disturbing trend: Adolescent females 12 to 17 are equa=
lly
as likely as adolescent males to have met alcohol abuse or dependence
criteria. =
span>
o&nb=
sp;
=
Males
account for more treatment admissions for alcohol abuse than do females.=
o&nb=
sp;
=
More than 40% of people who initiat=
ed
drinking before age 15 were diagnosed as alcohol dependent at some point in
their lives.
o&nb=
sp;
Although in the past women generally start=
ed
drinking at later ages than men, more recent survey data show a trend that
alcohol abuse and dependence rates in women are increasing.
o&nb=
sp;
While females who abuse alcohol usually st=
art
later than males, problems tend to develop more rapidly so that by middle a=
ge
women often encounter the same problems as men.
·
<=
span
style=3D'color:navy'>Does alcohol affect women the same as it affects men?<=
/span>
o&nb=
sp;
Women appear to be more susceptible than m=
en
to many adverse effects of alcohol use.
o&nb=
sp;
Women achieve higher concentrations of alc=
ohol
in the blood and become more impaired than men after drinking the same amou=
nt
of alcohol. This is because women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently
then men. Basically, women ha=
ve
less body water, so they achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the bl=
ood
after equivalent amounts of alcohol.
o&nb=
sp;
=
The
different body composition and increased alcohol concentrations make women =
more
susceptible to earlier health effects of alcohol abuse and dependence.=
·
Are there Special
Concerns for Women regarding Alcohol Use, Abuse or Dependence?
o&nb=
sp;
Victimization
·
Women with a history of childhood neglect
significantly have more alcohol-related symptoms, independent of parental
alcohol or other drug (AOD) problems, childhood poverty, race, and age.
·
Physical abuse during adulthood has also b=
een
associated with women's alcohol use and related problems.
·
A survey of female college students found a
significant relationship between the amounts of alcohol the women reported
drinking each week and their experiences of sexual victimization.
·
Another study found that female high school
students who used alcohol in the past year were more likely, than non-drink=
ing
students, to be the victims of dating violence (e.g., shoving, kicking, or
punching).
·
A history of heavy premarital drinking, by
both partners, has been found to predict first-year aggression among newlyw=
eds.
In some studies, problem drinking by wives has been linked to husband-to-wi=
fe
aggression regardless of the husbands' drinking levels.
Health Consequen=
ces
·
Research suggests that women are more at r=
isk
than men to medical problems, psychological or physical trauma, legal and
interpersonal difficulties.
·
Liver Damage
·
Women will develop alcohol-induced liver
disease over a shorter period of time and after consuming less alcohol.
·
Women are more likely than men to develop alcoholic hepatitis and=
to
die from cirrhosis. =
span>
·
=
Women’s
higher risk of liver damage may be due to the effects of the female hormone
estrogen.
·
Breast Cancer
·
=
Severa=
l studies
report that moderate to heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk for br=
east
cancer.
·
Motor Vehicle Accidents
·
Although women are less likely than men to
drive after drinking and less likely to be involved in fatal alcohol-related
crashes, women have a higher relative risk of driver fatality than men at
similar blood alcohol concentrations.
·
Women's lower rates of drinking and driving
may be attributed to their lower tendency toward risk taking compared with =
men.
·
Women are also less likely to view drinking
and driving as acceptable behavior.
Referen=
ces: =
American Psychiatric Association (2000).<=
/span> Diagnos=
tic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision=
span>, Washington,
D.C.
NIAAA. Alcohol Alert No. 46: Are Women More Vulnerable to
Alcohol’s Effects?. Rockville, MD: the Institute, 1999.=
=
All rights reserved: C=
linical
Psychology Associates of North Central Florida, P.A. Gainesville,
Florida (352) 336-2888 CPANCF.COM