Assessment of risk factors for relapse among alcohol dependent individuals: A Comparative study

BACKGROUND: Alcoholism is a serious problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Recovery from alcoholism is known to be challenging and often leads to relapse at various points even after de addiction treatment. Many studies have demonstrated an association between psychosocial stressors and relapse in alcoholism .The study aims at assessing the psychosocial stressors, sociocultural factors, personality traits leading to relapse in alcohol dependent individuals . exploration of this area is needed for better intervention techniques to avoid relapse in alcohol dependant individuals. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: A case control study among alcohol dependent individuals to assess personality traits and psychosocial stress in alcohol dependent individuals without relapse and with relapse revealed the following findings. The study also focussed on correlating the risk factors between alcohol dependent individuals with and without relapse. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From November 2018 to December 2019, 30 consecutive alcohol dependant individuals with relapse and 30 consecutive individuals without relapse in the age group of 18-45 years were selected from patients attending as outpatient, Department of Psychiatry, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem. Patients were diagnosed as alcohol dependence according to ICD 10 criteria, sociodemographic profile was obtained using semi structured proforma and other clinical data like psychological stressor, family history of alcoholism, personality type. Presumptive stressful life events scale applied for assessing stressor and personality assessment done by IPDE scale. Collected data were assessed using SPSS version 23 and for categorical variables chi square test was applied. RESULTS: Sociodemographic variables were assessed and correlated among cases and control group. Among sociodemographic factors, unemployment, low educational status, family history of alcoholism, long duration of alcohol intake were found significant among relapse group. Psychosocial stressors were assessed among cases and control group. It was found that patients with significant stressor have relapsed after deaddiction treatment. Personality types were assessed among cases and control group. Men with impulsive and anxious type of personality were found to have increased relapse rates than with other personality types. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic factors like low educational status, unemployment, positive family history of alcoholism, long duration of alcohol intake were found as significant predictors among relapse group. Along with personality, stress also plays a major role. The major stressors for relapse in cases are unemployment, financial loss or problems, marital conflict and family conflict/Break-up with friend. The other stressors are death of close family member and marital separation. Therefore, any attempt to address relapse should consider all these factors