Six-month course of depression in female alcoholics.

To evaluate the persistence of depression in alcoholic women, depressive symptomatology was assessed systematically via the Beck Depression Inventory at intake, 3, and 6 months of treatment. Fifty-five female alcoholics were diagnosed for concurrent psychiatric diagnosis. Results revealed differences in the course of depression for female alcoholics with (a) no concurrent diagnosis, (b) dysthymic disorder, and (c) personality disorder. Despite a decrease in depression for the sample as a whole, dysthymic alcoholics were consistently more depressed than the other two subgroups and remained depressed during the first 6 months of treatment. Depression did not significantly remit with sobriety.