Læknablaðið - 15.04.1988, Side 54

164
LÆKNABLAÐIÐ
SUMMARY
Public evaluation of alcoholism.
In order to study the general public’s attitudes towards
alcoholism, the respondents in an epidemiological
survey on drinking habits and alcohol abuse, were asked
which of the four different statements gives the best
description of alcoholism:
1. An illness that strikes without warning, and people
do not have personal control over whether they get it
or not.
2. An illness people have little control over whether they
get it or not.
3. An illness that people have a great deal of control
over whether they get it or not.
4. It’s not a real illness. People bring it on themselves.
5. Don’t know.
The majority of the respondents disagree with the
statement that alcoholism is a disease that strikes
without warning, and people have no control over. A
large proportion of the respondents that considers
alcoholism not to be a disease is the elderly population,
people with limited or no education and abstainers.
Those who agree with the statement that alcoholism is a
disease were mostly women, people with alcohol
problems themselves and those who have been in
treatment for alcoholism.
HEIMILDIR
1. Room R. Sociological Aspects of the Disease
Concept of Alcoholism. In Smart RG, Glaser FB,
Israel Y, Kalant H, Popham RE. and Schmidt W.
(Eds.) Research Advances in Alcohol and Drug
Problems. Plenum Press N.Y. 1983, Vol 7, 47-91.
2. Ólafsdóttir H. The Growth of Self-Help in the
Response to Alcohol Problems in Iceland. Birt í:
Tongue A, Tongue E. (eds.) Proceedings of the 31st
International Institute on the Prevention and
Treatment of Alcoholism, Roma, 2-7 June, 1985;
99-107.
3. Ólafsdóttir H, Helgason T. Innlagnir á
meðferðarstofnanir vegna misnotkunar áfengis og
annarra vímuefna 1975-1985. Læknablaðið 1987;
73: 165-7.
4. Helgason T. Áfengisneysluvenjur og einkenni
misnotkunar 1974 og 1984. Læknablaðið 1987; 73:
129-36.
5. Snare A. i samarbeid med Ólafsdóttir H. og
Peltoniemi T. Den private volden: om
hustrumishandling. f Higrd, C. og Snare A. (red.)
Kvinners skyld. Pax Forlag A.S., Oslo 1983;
176-240.
6. Room R. The U.S. General Population’s
Experiences with Responses to Alcohol Problems.
Paper presented at ICAA Alcohol Epidemiology
Section, Aix-en-Provence, 7.-12. júní 1987.