This investigation examined a large number of self‐reported symptoms of psychopathology. Its specific purpose was to assess their relationship to alcohol abuse as a self‐indicated problem behavior. Participants in the study were 72 adults of both sexes who sought mental health services at a Veterans Administration outpatient Mental Hygiene Clinic. The self‐reporting instrument was a behavioral problem checklist that was administered as part of a routine psychological test battery given at the time of each client's intake assessment at the Clinic. A correlational analysis of these data revealed that several broad areas of psychopathology were related significantly to alcohol abuse: Social/interpersonal skill deficits, anxiety, addiction proneness, impulse dyscontrol, and self‐destructive ideation. These findings support a social learning theory of alcohol abuse. The results also imply that future treatment approaches to excessive drinking should include social skill and relaxation training as well as attention to traditional clinical concerns with self‐destructive thinking and impulse control.

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