Does calling alcoholism an illness make a difference? The public image of alcoholism in Italy

Aims Using data from a population survey in two communities in the region of Sardinia, Italy, we examined the association between illness definition and attribution of personal characteristics to people with alcoholism. Methods Quota samples, stratified by gender and age, were drawn from the general population (males: 48%; mean age 48 ± 18; range: 15–90). A fully-structured interview was conducted face-to-face with 404 respondents. The assessment of the public view of ‘alcoholics’ was measured by their reactions to stimulus words rated on bipolar scales, and defined with adjectives with opposite meanings at each end. Results 322 participants (80%) rated the ‘alcoholic’ as ‘ill’. The definition of the ‘alcoholic’ as being ill showed a statistically higher odd of stigma across all the dimensions of personal attributes. Conclusions The expectation that people adopting the illness model would tend to blame less those afflicted for their condition and, consequently, stigmatize them less, was not confirmed.