The burden of cyclothymia on alcohol dependence.

Background: The relationship between cyclothymic temperament and alcoholism remains insufficiently explored.

Methods: A sample of 125 alcohol-dependent patients diagnosed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria (APA, 2000) was recruited from a clinical setting. Cyclothymic temperament was diagnosed according to the Portuguese version of the Akiskal and Akiskal (2005) temperament scale.

Results: Alcohol dependent patients who score positive (above mean) for CT present to some extent a more severe profile of alcohol-related problems.

Limitations: Correlational study

Conclusions: CT traits in alcohol dependents seems to influence whether subjects engage earlier in pathological alcohol use and present particular alcohol-related problems, in particular Cloninger type II alcoholism phenotype.