Researchers have arrived at another classification—the type A-type B subtype—that addresses alcoholism in both men and women. Type A and type B alcoholics are defined in terms of a broad range of factors, including psychopathology and family history of alcoholism, and are grouped according to the severity of their disorder. These two subtypes were derived from studies using a statistical method (i.e., cluster analysis) that classifies individuals into groups (i.e., clusters) based on their similarities with regard to the attributes selected for analysis (Babor et al. 1992). In the original typology study, 17 different characteristics, designed to reflect four broad domains (i.e., premorbid risk factors, alcohol and other drug [AOD] use, chronic nature and consequences of alcohol use, and psychiatric symptoms), were used to classify a large and diverse group of inpatients (228 men and 85 women) who met the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Third Edition (DSM–III) criteria for alcohol dependence (see table 1). Study participants were recruited from three treatment facilities more than a decade ago, and intensive followup evaluations were performed both 1 year and 3 years after the initial treatment.
