Adult Male Patients with Alcohol Dependence: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Relapse

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Relapse into alcoholism following a successful detox and recovery program is a global public health risk. Despite the enormous burden of alcoholism on the Indian subcontinent, little is understood about the reasons why people who have been treated for alcohol misuse relapse. The issue of relapse continues to be the biggest obstacle to attaining lasting abstinence from substances, despite the availability of numerous forms of effective therapy. To effectively raise awareness among the general public, it is necessary to organize a number of sensitization campaigns about the burden of alcohol abuse, relapse after treatment, and its effects on people's health and the community at large. At the national and international levels, more research should be done on the likelihood of relapse and the risk factors related to substance use disorders. Clinicians should use the data gathered to raise awareness among those who abuse alcohol as well as among the general public in order to effect the necessary change.

AIM: The study's objective is to assess the likelihood of and risk factors for relapse in patients with alcohol dependent disorders.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: The Department of Psychiatry carried out this cross-sectional study. The study enrolled 40 male patients admitted to the ward with an alcohol dependence syndrome diagnosis as defined by the Diagnostic Criteria for Research (DCR) of the ICD-10, 10th revision. After receiving informed consent and gathering sociodemographic information, the severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scales (PSLES), and Relapse Precipitant Inventory were used to correlate the factors that lead to relapse among these alcohol abusers.

RESULTS: The study comprised 40 patients in total who met both the inclusion and exclusion requirements. Patients who had signed up for the study were asked why they had relapsed after receiving full detoxification and rehabilitation. The cases in the study sample were shown to have a variety of relapse triggers, with craving accounting for the majority of them, followed by low motivation and one or more stressful situations. To investigate typical relapse precipitants among alcohol addicts, the Relapse Precipitant Inventory (RPI) was used. The level of stress the patients had experienced in the previous year—which may have caused relapse in alcohol-dependent people—was assessed using PSLES.

CONCLUSION: In India, excessive alcohol intake is becoming a significant public health issue. Along with occupational rehabilitation, regular follow-up with family, peers, and social support is crucial to preventing recurrence. To better comprehend the issue, multi-centric scientific community-based research investigations must be carried out in several different states. It is imperative that different decision-makers, the media, experts, and society as a whole work together to raise awareness of the negative effects of chronic alcohol use through sensitization programs and health education initiatives. Family issues, financial difficulties, and the loss of loved one’s rank among the most significant ostensibly stressful life situations that might lead to lapse or relapse. Follow-up counseling sessions should address increased appetite, low self-efficacy, and a lack of social support because these factors were linked to recurrence.

KEYWORDS: Alcoholism, Relapse, Alcohol Dependence and Rehabilitation.