Alcoholism is the popular term for two disorders, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. The hallmarks of both these disorders involve repeated life problems that can be directly attributed to the use of alcohol.
Children with FASD have more severe behavioral problems than children with ADHD – Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have a high risk of psychiatric problems, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, or both.
Study shows 1 in 25 deaths worldwide attributable to alcohol — CAMH researcher sees glass ‘as half full’. – 1 in 25 deaths are directly attributable to alcohol consumption worldwide, revealed by researchers from Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
Dangerous college drinking: Prevention is possible, studies suggest – Alcohol is sometimes seen as part and parcel of college life, but there are programs that can significantly reduce students’ risky drinking, according to a series of studies in a special college drinking supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
‘Happy hour’ gene discovery suggests cancer drugs might treat alcoholism – A class of drugs already approved as cancer treatments might also help to beat alcohol addiction. That’s the conclusion of a discovery in flies of a gene, dubbed happyhour, that has an important and previously unknown role in controlling the insects’ response to alcohol.
Alcohol in Britain: trends show young men are binge-drinking less, but women are binge-drinking more – A new research shows that the proportion of women who binge-drink almost doubled between 1998 and 2006 and is now at 15% (men who binge-drink increased by 1% to 23%).
Good relationship with parents may prevent teen drinking problems – Teenagers who have a strong relationship with their parents may start drinking at a later age — which may, in turn, lessen their risk of developing alcohol problems, a new study suggests.
Barely legal — new study into whether alcohol affects perceptions of age. Research has important implications if alcohol is cited as an excusing factor. – A new study led by the University of Leicester has demonstrated that consuming alcohol did not affect how men judged the age of women. This has important legal implications if alcohol is cited as a cause of impairing judgement.
Alcohol abuse may lead to depression risk, rather than vice versa – A statistical modeling study suggests that problems with alcohol abuse may lead to an increased risk of depression, as opposed to the reverse model in which individuals with depression self-medicate with alcohol, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Light to moderate consumption of alcohol may help prevent the development of physical disability in old age. – It is well known that moderate drinking can have positive health benefits – for instance, a couple of glasses of red wine a day can be good for the heart. But if you’re a senior in good health, light to moderate consumption of alcohol may also help prevent the development of physical disability.
This is the time to remind about effects of binge drinking culture in young people, stressed by UK’s Economic & Social Research Council. – As the party season approaches, a timely reminder of the issues surrounding the binge drinking culture are again highlighted by research into ‘young people and alcohol’ a team lead by Professor Christine Griffin, at the University of Bath.
Hazardous drinking, defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend, may be a new ‘check stop’ on the way to alcohol dependence. – Current diagnostic guides divide alcohol-use disorders into two categories: alcohol abuse/harmful use and alcohol dependence. Some researchers and clinicians believe this is insufficient, that there should be a third, preceding diagnosis known as “hazardous drinking,” defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend.
Omega-3s are not useful treatments for people with bipolar disorder. – Despite intriguing findings that omega-3 fatty acid supplements could alleviate depression symptoms, there is still not enough evidence to say whether omega-3s are useful treatments for people with bipolar disorder, according to a review of recent studies.
