Abstract
Results of this study of female alcoholic inpatients revealed that a majority of study participants demonstrated significant clinical depression upon treatment intake and following a period of detoxification as determined by scores on the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Dysthymic Scale of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). In addition, it was possible to subdivide the individuals into enduring and transient depressive subgroups based upon the degree and level of change demonstrated between intake scores and follow-up scores of the SDS and the Dysthymic Scale.Although the subjects in the enduring and transient depressive subgroups did not differ significantly in terms of a history of suicide attempts, there was a tendency for women in the enduring depressive subgroup formed based on SDS scores to be younger than women in the transient depressive subgroup. Also, when separated into single versus nonsingle categories, women in the enduring subgroup formed based on SDS scores were more likely to be single.Scores on a number of MCMI scales were used to evaluate personality variables as predictors of depressive subgroup membership. The results of a discriminant analysis performed using depressive subgroups formed based on SDS scores as the grouping variable demonstrated that membership in the enduring depressive subgroup was positively associated with scores on the Passive-Aggressive/Negativistic and Avoidant Scales of the MCMI, while membership in the transient depressive subgroup was positively associated with scores in the subclinical range on the Compulsive/Conforming Scale.The chronological order of the appearance of symptoms associated with depression versus the onset of problem drinking was explored. Subjects in the various depressive subgroups did not differ significantly in terms of the length of time the following symptoms had been experienced versus the length of time problem drinking had been experienced: loss of confidence, sleep problems, feeling badly about oneself, loss of interest in one's life, feeling hopeless, suicidal thoughts, thoughts about death, concern for physical health, and overall depression. The recollection of anger experienced prior to the onset of problem drinking was reported significantly more frequently by subjects in the enduring depressive subgroup formed based on SDS scores. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)