OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively explore existing quality of life (QoL) measures in alcoholism (alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence). METHODS: Systematic searches of Scopus (1990-2007) were conducted using terms synonymous with alcoholism combined with terms associated with measuring QoL. RESULTS: In total, 618 abstracts were identified detailing the use of 16 generic patient-reported measures to assess QoL in alcoholism. Upon further examination (ie searching Scopus using the QoL measure as a search term from date of development) nine measured health status and seven assessed generic QoL, with varying definitional criteria and domain focus. The SF-36 and EQ-5D, in particular, have been used widely but frequently misinterpreted as measures of QoL rather than health status. One alcohol-specific QoL measure was identified; the AlQoL 9, a scale that the authors have claimed to epitomise alcohol-related QoL. However, the AlQoL 9 was developed by reducing the SF-36 (French version) to the nine items most relevant to alcoholism. The methodology for determining the relevance of the existing items of the SF-36 was comprehensive but the adapted measure does not include assessment of additional concepts (such as sleep and social isolation) of particular importance for alcohol-related QoL. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of research and assessment of QoL in alcoholism. Individuals need to be given the opportunity to determine the extent to which their QoL is impaired by alcoholism based upon their own criteria for what constitutes good QoL. There is a need for an alcoholism-specific QoL measure, which focuses on the domains that are most salient to people with such problems. Furthermore, research that includes an assessment of the impact of alcoholism on the QoL of friends, family and colleagues of the person abusing alcohol would also be valuable. Only then will we be able to assess the full impact of alcoholism (and its treatment) on QoL.