Alcoholism

When The Natural History of Alcoholism was first published in 1983, it was acclaimed in the press as the single most important contribution to the literature on alcoholism since the first edition of Alcoholic Anonymous’s Big Book. George Vaillant took on the crucial questions of whether alcoholism is a symptom or a disease, whether it is progressive, whether alcoholics differ from others before the onset of their alcoholism, and whether alcoholics can safely drink. Based on an evaluation of more than 600 individuals followed for over forty years, Vaillant’s monumental study offered new and authoritative answers to all of these questions. In this updated version of his classic book, Vaillant returns to the same subjects with the perspective gained from fifteen years of further follow-up. Alcoholics who had been studied to age 50 in the earlier book have now reached age 65 and beyond, and Vaillant reassesses what we know about alcoholism in light of both their experiences and the many new studies of the disease by other researchers. The result is a sharper focus on the nature and course of this devastating disorder as well as a sounder foundation for the assessment of various treatments.

Aimed at those who have alcohol problems and the people who share their lives, this text examines the social, psychological, and medical aspects. It includes expanded sections on women and looks at results from studies into the genetic causes.

This latest installment in the renowned series explores the organizational issues around the access and delivery of substance abuse treatment and the role of managed care. In 20 chapters by recognized experts important issues are addressed, such as: economics, cost-benefits, financing of services, and treatment outcome studies. This volume will be of great value to both researchers and clinicians.