A brief method of screening for alcoholism

Subjects given a research diagnosis of alcoholism were evaluated to determine whether key symptoms exist which provide a means of rapid screening for alcoholism. Alcoholic subjects were compared with a large control group of non alcoholics. A very high percent of alcoholics was identified by the subject's report that he or others believed the subject drank too much. Few non alcoholic subjects reported that either they or others had such beliefs. Thus, several easy questions can serve as highly reliable screening test for alcoholism.