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One-hundred husbands, diagnosed as suffering from alcoholism, and their wives, were followed up twelve months after initial consultation and assessment. Follow-up information was complete in 89 cases. On the basis of both husband and wife accounts of the husband's drinking behaviour during the follow-up period, and their assessment of the drinking problem at twelve-months follow-up, 28 were classified as having a 'good' outcome and 29 as having a 'bad' outcome. In the remaining 32 cases outcome was considered 'equivocal'. A composite measure of marital cohesion was predictive of twelve-month outcome classification, cohesive marriages being significantly more likely to have a good outcome. The measure of marital cohesion was based upon husband and wife reports of mutual affection and of husband involvement in family tasks, favourable spouse perceptions and meta-perceptions, and optimism about the future of the marriage. Composite measures of dominance balance within the marriage were not predictive of outcome. Husband's job status, husband's self-esteem, and wife's reported hardship were not independent of marital cohesion, and were themseleves predictive of twelve-months outcome. When these variables were partially controlled it was found that marital cohesion remained predictive for husbands with relatively low status jobs and husbands with relatively low levels of self-esteem. It is an over-simplification to state that either the marriage, the spouse, or the severity of the patient's condition is alone the cause of variation in outcome. It is possible to integrate these findings with those of other studies on the influence of family variables on the outcom of conditions other than alcoholism. Together these studies suggest a general hypothesis linking a breakdown in the cohesiveness, or mutual rewardingness, of family relationships and unfavourable outcomes following treatment or consultation for psychological disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents two parallel epidemiological investigations of the prevalence of alcoholism in the same London borough, England. The first is an inquiry into several reporting agencies such as courts, clergy or employers the number of cases of individuals with drinking problems coming to their notice within the period of April 1, 1965 to March 31, 1966, while the second study involved a house-to-house interviewing of subjects' own report of troubles experienced with drinking during the previous 12 months. The reporting agency surveys revealed an overall prevalence rate of 4.7 percent per 1,000 adults aged over 16. The house-to-house survey gave an overall prevalence rate of 31.3 percent of problem drinking per 1,000 adults aged 18.

The article focuses on the census of the number of reception centers in Great Britain. The Reception Centers are being asked to perform so many different functions. Hostel care is at the forefront of thinking in many different fields. Under one roof are being performed the function of an old people's home, lodging, house for the itinerant laborer, alcoholism rehabilitation center, and mental after-care hostel. Among the centers include London-born and London-immigrant, men with drinking problems, and ex-prisoners.