The stereotypical view of the Irish as particularly prone to alcoholism is in many ways a myth, according to a paper included in a sociology publication published last night.
This view of Irish people and their problems with alcohol, said Dr Tanya Cassidy, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology in Trinity College, has been generally accepted up to recent times.
"It's taken as a given, particularly by people in the UK and the US, and also in Ireland. But the situation is far more complicated," she said.
Dr Cassidy explained that, despite the general perception, Ireland had one of the lowest percentage of deaths from cirrhosis of the liver, a figure which has been consistently low over the years.
However, a large number of people are still hospitalised with the reason given as alcoholism.
"The statistic that Ireland has a high rate of hospitalisation for alcoholism is frequently quoted. But it is now recognised that it is often just a contributory factor, along with a number of other problems. People, especially men, find it easier to blame alcohol for their problems. Alcohol is also an integral part of the social life so when things start to go wrong it can be something that you cling to."
Alcoholism, she said, was clearly a male disease, according to the statistics, while more females were hospitalised for depression. "Men find it easier to say that the problem is related to drink and society accepts that. But the medical profession is recognising that there are other causes."
Introducing the publication, The Sociology of Health and Illness in Ireland, Mr Jerry O'Dwyer, secretary-general of the Department of Health, said the book would contribute to a better understanding of the environment, beliefs about health and professional cultures in which the health services must be planned and delivered.
In her contribution Ms Anne Cleary, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at UCD, examined the gender differences in relation to mental health data in Ireland. She said there was a gender differential in terms of "diagnosis and positioning" within the mental health area.
"Overall men tend to predominate in the Irish hospital system, which has been the pattern in the 19th and 20th centuries. Women tend to predominate in the community services," said Ms Cleary.
She said that many of these features were common to mental health systems in other countries but the excess of male admissions to mental asylums and hospitals appeared to be specific to Ireland.
The book, published by University College Dublin Press, provides an account of health issues in Ireland. It was edited by Ms Cleary and Ms Margaret Treacy, Head of Nursing Studies at UCD. It offers a sociological perspective on health and illness.