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The prevalence of alcohol problems was studied in a consecutive series of 60 soldiers attending an endoscopy clinic, in a matched sample of non-endoscoped soldiers from medical wards, and in a reference sample from the military alcohol treatment unit. Data were obtained using CAGE, MAST and SADQ questionnaires and MCV and Liver Function Tests and were analysed by discriminant function analyses. The endoscopy sample did not have an increased prevalence of problem drinking when compared to the medical inpatient sample. Of the instruments that were used, the MAST proved to be the most useful in identifying those patients that fulfilled the criteria for admission to the alcohol treatment unit and identified 50% of patients in the medical and endoscopy sample as having an alcohol problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article about 5-HT reuptake inhibitor and noradrenergic tricyclic antidepressant which appear to offer hope for the treatment of resistant depression, especially in elderly patients in the October 1992 issue.