The prevalence of problem drinking and alcoholism in the West of Scotland.

A 10 per cent probability sample of the population of Clydebank was interviewed, using an indirect questionnaire, to assess the extent of alcohol-related disabilities. Eighty-two per cent of 4,397 persons gave information and weighted symptom-scoring analysis showed 5.0 per cent of adult males and 1.1 per cent of adult females could be classified as problem drinkers and 5.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively could be labelled alcoholics. These figures are compared to existing Scottish and English alcoholism prevalence statistics.

Alcohol problems among women in a general hospital ward.

This paper reports a study which was conducted to establish the utility of a screening procedure consisting of a structured interview and blood tests (GGT and MCV) to detect early problem drinking in female patients in a short-stay general hospital ward. The proportion of women identified by the interview schedule was found to be greater than has been reported in general practice and some other studies of female problem drinking. However, most of the blood tests were normal for this group. Excessive alcohol consumption was significantly associated with attempted suicide by drug overdose.

Choreoathetotic movement disorder in alcoholism.

A syndrome of choreoathetosis in association with alcoholism has been found in 12 patients. It appeared to occur more often in women, was transient, and may have been associated with alcohol withdrawal. It was not associated with gross liver disease, phenothiazine administration, or familial chorea, and no consistent abnormalities in whole blood thiamine or nicotinic acid, in serum magnesium, or in serum vitamin B(12) levels were present.

The Scottish first episode schizophrenia study. VII. Two-year follow-up. Scottish Schizophrenia Research Group.

Of 49 schizophrenic patients followed up 2 years after their first admission to hospital, 37% were well, 47% had been readmitted to hospital at some time over the 2 years, and 38% showed schizophrenic symptoms at follow-up. A poor outcome at 2 years was associated with male sex, poor outcome after the first 5 weeks of the first admission, negative schizophrenic symptoms on first admission, and a diagnosis of definite or probable schizophrenia using the Feighner criteria. Only 23% were in employment. A small double-blind discontinuation study of maintenance antipsychotic medication during the second year found more relapses in those switched to placebo medication. Repeat psychometric assessment at 2 years confirmed modest improvements found at 12 months; that is, there was no evidence of intellectual decline. Relatives showed no more psychosocial distress than that found in a normal community sample; what distress there was correlated with patients' schizophrenic symptoms.