Jewish Alcoholism

It remains a commonly held notion that members of the Jewish community suffer from substance abuse at rates lower than other cultural groups. Alcoholism is one form of substance abuse that research supports as being less among Jews than other cultures and religious groups. As reported by Eng, Hanson, and Isralowitz (2002), "Research indicates that, although a high proportion of Jews are light drinkers, relatively few are heavy drinkers...and that the alcohol abuse and alcoholism rate among Jews is lower than that of other major Western religious groups, particularly Catholics and Protestants" (p. 415). Alcohol use is highly limited in Jewish tradition, a reason often given as part of the explanation behind the fact that the lifetime rate of alcohol abuse is 11% in Jewish men and 28% in Catholic and Protestant men (Itzhak et al. 1997: 7). Additional socioeconomic factors often provide some explanatory support as to why the rate of alcohol abuse and dependence is two and a half times as high in Catholic and Protestant men as Jewish men. For instance, Jewish men usually have higher levels of income and education than non-Jewish men which gives them a higher willingness to seek out and a better means of affording substance abuse services and rehabilitation. Strong community ties and a strong reliance on faith are also used as reasons that help Jewish men cope b

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predisposition in Jews compared to other groups such as Catholics or Protestants. Jewish culture traditionally frowns upon alcohol abuse and the tradition has limitations upon drinking that are absent from other cultures and religions such as Roman Catholics and Irish Catholics. This study supports the current trend in alcohol abuse and dependence literature that focuses on sociological, psychological, and genetic theories to help explain why only some people who use alcohol develop significant problems with the drug. For example, psychological impressions of alcohol abuse are different among different cultures and/or religious groups. In one study conducted by Royal Holloway's Department of Psychology at the University of London, Kate Loewenthal (2002) discovered that "Protestants described drinking as normal, socially acceptable, relaxing and a pleasant escape from stress, while Jews expressed concern about a loss of control, revulsion at drunken behavior and a fear of addiction" (p. 7). This study also found that Jews were more likely than Protestants to report a high level of tolerance for depression and a willingness to confide in others (Loewenthal 2002: 7). This is important because alcoholic typically withdraw and

Category: Psychology - J