BOSTON (Harvard, University) -- A new study shows that six percent of college students meet criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence (also referred to as alcoholism), and 31 percent meet the clinical criteria for alcohol abuse. The study found that more than two of every five students report at least one symptom of these conditions, putting them at increased risk of developing a true alcohol disorder. Previous studies on college drinking have concentrated on the type, frequency and amount of alcohol consumed. This is the first study to assess the actual extent of alcohol diagnoses among college students.
“Heavy drinking is most often regarded as a behavior problem only,” said John R. Knight, Principal Investigator of the study and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School. “Our study indicates that many students who drink heavily are at high risk of true mental disorders – alcohol abuse and dependence. Alcohol dependence especially may become a lifelong illness, and more should be done to recognize and help students at risk.”
The findings were released today by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) (www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas). The article appears in the May 2002 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
