J Korean Med Assoc.  2006 Feb;49(2):142-149. 10.5124/jkma.2006.49.2.142.

Gender Differences in Alcohol Dependence

• Lee E

• KMID: 2184662
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2006.49.2.142

Abstract

The paper reviews recent advances regarding characteristics and treatment issues of alcohol use disorders in women. Women drink less alcohol but have greater sensitivity of alchol-related problems than men. Recent evidences suggest that women are more likely to have alcohol-related physical problems at smaller amount of drinking than men. Also, they have more alcohol-induced cognitive and emotional disturbances. Alcohol-induced reproductive problems are also specific to women. It may be due to women's unique susceptibility to the toxic effects of alcohol. There are also evidences that women may have more psychiatric problems than men before onset of drinking problems.There was a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in women than in men with alcohol use disorders. All of these differences have important treatment implications. But, more research are needed to discover the nature of gender difference of alcohol drinking.

Keyword

Alcoholism; Alcohol use disorder; Female

MeSH Terms

Affective Symptoms
Alcohol Drinking
Alcoholism*
Comorbidity
Drinking
Female
Humans
Male
Prevalence

Reference

1. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, Nelson CB, Hughes M, Eshleman S, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994. 51:8–19.

2. Helzer JE, Burnam A, McEvoy LT. Robins LN, Regier DA, editors. Alcohol abuse and dependence. Psychiatric disorders in america. 1991. New York: Free Press;81–115.

5. Grant BF, Dawson DA. Age at onset of alcohol use and its association with DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence: results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. J Sub Abuse. 1997. 9:103–110.

6. Matteo S. The risk of multiple addictions. Guidelines for assessing a woman's alcohol and drug use. West J Med. 1988. 149:741–745.

7. Murray JB. Psychologists and alcoholic women. Psychol Rep. 1989. 64:627–644.

8. Lex BW. Gender differences and substance abuse. Adv Subst Abuse. 1991. 4:225–296.

9. Wilsnack SC, Wilsnack RW. Gomberg ESL, Nirenberg TD, editors. Epidemiological research on women's drinking; Recent progress and directions for the 1990s. Women and Substance Abuse. 1993. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing;62–99.

10. Brady KT, Randall CL. Gender differences in substance use disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1999. 22:241–252.

11. Miller BA, Downs WR, Testa M. Interrelationships between victimization experiences and women's alcohol use. J Stud Alcohol. 1993. 11:109–117.

12. Wilsnack SC, Vogeltanz ND, Klassen AD, Harris TR. Childhood sexual abuse and women's substance abuse: National survey findings. J Stud Alcohol. 1997. 58:264–271.

13. Miller BA . Wetherington CL, Roman AB, editors. Partner violence experiences and women's drug use: Exploring the connections. Drug Addiction Research and the Health of Women. 1998. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse;407–441.

14. Blume SB, Zilberman ML. Galanter M, Kleber HD, editors. Addiction in Women. Textbook of substance abuse treatment. 2004. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing;539–546.

15. Paquignot G, Cyrulnik F. Chronic disease due to overconsumption of alcoholic drinks(excepting neuropsychiatric change). Pharmacol Ther. 1970. 11:375–412.

16. Sherlock S. Liver disease in women. Alcohol, autoimmunity, and gallstones. West J Med. 1988. 149:683–686.

17. Mello NK, Mendelson JH, Teoh SK. Neuroendocrine consequences of alcohol abuse in women. Ann N Y Acad Sc. 1989. 562:211–240.

18. Gearhart JG, Beebe D, Milhorn HT, Meeks GR. Alcoholism in women. Am Fam Physician. 1991. 44:907–913.

19. Kinsey BA. The female alcoholic: a social psychological study. 1966. Springfield, Ill: Thomas.

20. Sholty MJ. Female sexual experience and satisfaction as related to alcohol consumption. 1979. Baltimore: University of Maryland, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program.

21. Brady KA, Badrinath S, Bush K, Boyd-Wickizer J, Anawalt B. Medical risks for women who drink alcohol. J Gen Intern Med. 1998. 13:627–639.

22. Lancaster FE. Gender differences in the brain: Implications for the study of human alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1994. 18:740–746.

23. Hommer DW. Male and female sensitivity to alcohol-induced brain damage. Alcohol Res Health. 2003. 27:181–185.

24. Agartz I, Shoaf S, Rawlings RR, Momenan R, Hommer DW. CSF monoamine metabolites and MRI brain volumes in alcohol dependence. Psychiatry Res. 2003. 122:21–35.

25. Kroft CL, Gescuk B, Woods BT, Mello NK, Weiss RD, Mendelson JH. Brain ventricular size in female alcoholics: An MRI study. Alcohol. 1991. 8:31–34.

26. Pfefferbaum A, Rosenbloom M, Deshmukh A, Sullivan E. Sex difference in the effects of alcohol on brain structure. Am J Psychiatry. 2001. 158:188–197.

27. Kessler RC, Crum RM, Warner LA, Nelson CB, Schulenberg J, Anthony JC. Lifetime co-occurrence of DSM-III-R alcohol abuse and dependence with other psychiatric disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1997. 54:313–321.

28. McGrath PH, Nunes EV, Quitkin GM. Current concepts in the treatment of depression in alcohol-dependent patients. Psychiatr clin North Am. 2000. 23:269–275.

29. Schuckit MA, Tipp JE, Anthenelli RM, Bucholz KK, Hesselbrock VM, Nurnberger JI Jr. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in alcohol-dependent men and women and their relatives. Am J Psychiatry. 1996. 153:74–82.

30. Beckman LJ, Amaro H. Personal and social difficulties faced by women and men entering alcoholism treatment. J Stud Alcohol. 1986. 47:135–145.

31. Parrella DP, Filstead WJ. Definition of onset in the development of onset-based alcoholism typologies. J Stud Alcohol. 1988. 49:85–92.

32. Piazza NJ, Vrbka JL, Yeager RD. Telescoping of alcoholism in women alcoholics. International Journal of the Addictions. 1989. 24:19–28.

33. Tavares H, Zilberman ML, Beites FJ, Gentil V. Gender differences in gambling progression. J Gambl Stud. 2001. 17:151–159.

34. Greenfield SF, O'Leary G. Lewis-Hall F, Williams TS, Panetta JA, editors. Sex differences in substance use disorders. Psychiatric Illness in Women: Emerging Treatments and Research. 2002. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing;467–533.

35. Floyd RL, Decoufle P, Hungerford DW. Alcohol use prior to pregnancy recognition. Am J Prev Med. 1999. 17:101–107.

36. Fisher SE. Selective fetal malnutrition: the fetal alcohol syndrome. J Am Coll Nutr. 1988. 7:101–106.

37. Sterling RC, Gottheil E, Weinstein SP, Serota R. The effect of therapist/patient race- and sex-matching in individual treatment. Addiction. 2001. 96:1015–1022.