Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry

The author studied prognostic indicators of sixty Korean male alcoholics in psychological, social and biological aspects who were divided into abstinent and drinking groups. Thirty patients were assigned to each group. They were controlled in age and sex. Both groups were compared in terms of the demographic characteristics, past drinking history, treatment history, famaily history, ego strength and personality factors differences and distribution of dopamine D₂ receptor gene A1 allele. Also the author studied relation of clinical course, alcoholic family history and dopamine D₂ receptor gene A1 allele in both groups. The results were as follows : 1) The abstinent group had higher rate of married state, higher economic status, longer education years and maintained more stable job than the drinking group. But made no differences in occupation and religion. 2) The abstinent group showed higher rate of living with family members than the drinking group, and wives and fellows of the alcoholics anonymous were important factors for maintenance of abstinence. Family loading and parent's characters were not different. 3) The abstinent group had longer maximal length of abstinence but mean amount of alochol consumption per day were larger than the drinking group. But there were no differences in duration of past drinking, drinking pattern, main drinking time, first drinking age and preference of the kind of alcoholic beverage in the past drinking history. 4) The abstinent group showed stronger treatment motivation, absolute abstinence in treatment goal , more voluntary adimission and maintained longer therapeutic relationship after discharge than the drinking group. But both groups showed negative attitude toward antabuse therapy. 5) The abstinent group had higher mean score in ego strength scale than the drinking group. 6) In the personality factor questionnaire, the abstinent group showed strong tough poise and the trait of praxemia, conservatism personality but the drinking group showed tough poise, the trait of weak ego strength(unstableness) and tough mindedness personality. 7) In comparision of dopamine D₂ receptor gene A1 allele, the prevalence of A1 allele was sevently percent and the frequency was 0.38 in the abstinent group. The prevalence of A1 allele was sixty percent and the frequency was 0.42 in the drinking group. Both groups were not significantly different in A1 allele prevalence and frequency. 8) In comparision of dopamine D₂ receptor gene A1 allele according to alcoholic family history, the prevalence of A1 allele was sevently percent and the frequency was 0.43 in the family history positive group. The prevalence of A1 allele was sixty-one percent and the frequency was 0.38 in the family history negative group. Both groups were not significantly different in A1 allele prevalence and frequency. In comparision of past drinking history according to alcoholic family history, the family history positive group shwoed earlier first drinking and problem drinking, but the family history negative group had longer duration of past drinking. The mean amount of alcohol consumption per day, the longest duration of abstinence and Alcoholism Screening Test of Seoul National Mental Hospital(NAST) results were not significant. In conclusion, the results suggest that successful prognostic indicators of Korean alcoholics are married state, higher economic status, longer education years, stable job, living with family members, longer abstinence during past drinking history, strong treatment motivation, absolute abstinence in treatment goal, voluntary adimission, maintained therapeutic relationship, strong ego strength and the trait of praxemia, conservatism personality. But occupation, religion, alcoholic family history, parent's characters, duration of past drinking, drinking pattern, main drinking time, first drinking age, preference of the kind of alcoholic beverage, attitude to antabuse therapy and distribution of dopamine D₂ receptor A1 allele were not significantly related to the prognostic indicators of Korean alcoholics.

Keywords Alcoholism;Prognostic indicators.