Figure 1.

Alcohol use patterns in 453 patients attending an inner-city general medicine practice. The patients were interviewed about their drinking behavior and grouped according to the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM–III) into the following categories: abstention—0 drinks per week; social drinking—drinking without incurring harm by DSM–III criteria; problem drinking—meeting at least one DSM–III symptom criterion; alcohol abuse—meeting DSM–III criteria for alcohol abuse; and alcohol dependence—meeting DSM–III criteria for dependence.

SOURCE: Adapted from Buchsbaum et al. 1991.