Who Goes to Alcoholic Units *

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Abstract
Summary: Data on 334 patients (male 269, female 65) attending as inpatients 15 of the 17 alcoholic units in England and Wales was obtained. The mean age was 42 years ± 12·1 (males) and 40·3 years ± 9·7 (females). Patients educated at Grammar School were over represented compared with school leavers in 1950. 85·3% of the patients were reared by one or more parents. In terms of Social Class by occupation (30·1% males and 12·3% females were unemployed) the male distribution was S.C. I (14%) S.C. II (25%) S.C. III (35%) S.C. IV (12%) S.C. V (14%) whilst for females S.C. I(18%) S.C. II (32%) S.C. III (23%) S.C. IV (15%) S.C. V (12%). There was over representation of S.C. III and V in the patient sample compared with census (1961) data. In relation to Social Stability scores (Strauss and Bacon 1951) the distribution was as follows. 4 points (25·5%) 3 points (30·8%) 2 points (19·6%) 1 point (15·9%) 0 points (5·1%).This data was compared with clients attending Information Centres in England, A.A. members in London, clients attending Alcoholism Treatment Centres in the U.S.A. and the London Skid Row members. Patients attending Alcoholism Units closely resemble the former three groups, if anything being even more stable, and all four groups are sharply different from members of Skid Raw. Although the units were homogeneous some inter‐unit differences in population was evident which would make comparisons of treatment very difficult.

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