Lesbian Alcoholics were Unloved, Unwanted and Alcoholic had Parents; Social Supports and Lesbian Alcoholics
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and alcoholism among lesbians.
Fifteen lesbian alcoholics and 15 lesbian non-alcoholics were administered a questionnaire covering their childhood and adolescent history, social support systems, history of drinking, and demographic information.
The findings suggested that the alcoholic lesbians’ current support systems were not as disrupted as had been anticipated.
However, the alcoholic lesbians more often reported;
- having had a less supportive childhood and adolescence,
- feeling unloved and unwanted,
- experiencing conflict with adults in their families, and
- having had a parent with a drinking problem.
Social Supports and Lesbian Alcoholics. Rebecca Schilit, W. Mark Clark, and Elizabeth Ann Shallenberger. Affilia 1988; 3; 27.
Alcohol intervention may help.
The Co-Occurrence of Depression and Alcohol Dependence Symptoms in a Community Sample of Lesbians
Numerous studies have found an association between depression and alcohol use disorders in women.
Little is known, however, about the relationship between depression and alcohol use among lesbians.
We examined the prevalence of depression and alcohol dependence symptoms as well as the co-occurrence of these two health problems in a large community-based sample of women who self-identified as lesbian.
Past year alcohol dependence symptoms were significantly associated with both past year and lifetime depression.
Lifetime depression was higher among White and Latina lesbians than among African American lesbians.
Younger women and those not currently in a committed relationship more commonly reported past year depression.
Younger age was the strongest predictor of the co-occurrence of depression and alcohol dependence symptoms.
Research report; Wendy B Bostwick, Tonda L. Hughes & Timothy Johnson. The Co-Occurrence of Depression and Alcohol Dependence Symptoms in a Community Sample of Lesbians. Journal of Lesbian Studies, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 2005
