Addiction Research & Therapy

In recent decades, female alcoholism (FA) has become a growing phenomenon in Spain. Changes in the traditional family

structure and the assumption of typically male roles by women have contributed to the current situation. However, the

features and meaning of female alcoholism are diff erent from males. Jellinek (1960) described diff erent profi les for alcoholism,

but we have to consider him specifi c nature of alcoholism when women are considered. First, FA is underconsidered because

it remains hidden much more time. As a result, the time needed to access treatment is longer than for men, and the associated

damage is greater. It is important to highlight that women suff er a greater social stigma than men. Most of the time, women are

expected to fulfi ll their responsibilities despite their addiction disease, but the same is not expected of men.

Etiological factors are also diff erent when you look at FA. 50% of alcoholic women were victims of family violence in

childhood and married an alcoholic husband.

One of the most important factors that point to the need for a specifi c approach to FA is that special treatment programs

aimed at alcoholic women achieve better results than programs without a gender perspective.

As with men, diff erent profi les can be identifi ed when FA is considered. Based on our own experience, we suspected the

existence of two other profi les for FA that would show the complexity of this phenomenon. On the one hand, we observed a

profi le mainly associated with a particular stage of the family life cycle, featuring a middle-aged woman whose alcohol problems

get worse when children leave the family home. On the other hand, we suspected another profi le particularly associated with

a broken home, characterized by a woman that develops an early problematic consumption of alcohol, together with a higher

rate of psychopathological comorbidity