Author(s)

Serge Combaluzier

Department of Psychology, University of Rouen, Rouen, France.

Background: If the alcohol use and dependence disorders are differentiated by the pharmaco-dependence, they share complex relationships with other clinical disorders and personality disorders. The purpose of this paper is to produce a model that reflects its relations both among users than among addicts. Method: Data from questionnaires measuring key variables selected for this study have been collected from people with alcohol misuse (n = 83) and alcohol-dependent (n = 81) in rehab. A model of drug dependence has been produced from these data that gives complete satisfaction to the criteria of SEM. Discussion: This model reflects the shift from abuse to a dependent consumption by the presence of feedbacks involving pharmaco-dependence, disturbance of the alcohol consumption by psychological distress and depressive traits. To further guarantee its validity, however it should be tested by collecting data from other surveys.

Structural Equation Modelling; Alcohol Abuse; Alcohol Dependence

Combaluzier, S. (2012) Toward an integrative model for alcohol use and dependence. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 2, 317-320. doi: 10.4236/ojpsych.2012.24044.