Are there empirically supported and clinically useful subtypes of alcohol dependence?

AIMS: This paper provides an overview of several multidimensional empirically derived typologies of alcohol use disorders that have been derived primarily for research purposes in relation to their clinical utility. METHODS: Studies using multivariate statistical methods for identifying homogeneous groups of subjects were selected for inclusion. Theoretically based typologies were not included in this review. RESULTS: While formal diagnostic criteria typically identify separate categories of alcohol abuse and dependence, several studies using different statistical methods consistently suggest as many as four homogeneous types of alcoholism: a chronic/severe type, a depressed/anxious type, a mildly affected type and an antisocial type. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the longitudinal outcomes of few empirically derived subtypes have been examined, alcoholism typologies remain a viable and potentially valuable tool for investigating etiological pathways, the effectiveness of treatments and the long-term course of alcohol use disorders.