Reasons for Alcohol Dependence and Their Relationship with Addiction Beliefs, Attitude and Severity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alcohol Dependence and Their Relationship with Addiction

Abstract

Background: Alcohol abuse is a complex problem because there are so many reasons why people fall into substance abuse in the first place. Unless all these reasons are considered, it will be difficult to effectively tackle the problem. The severity of dependence may be a direct consequence of the addiction beliefs and attitude of the person toward alcohol intake. Addiction beliefs and attitude about the substance can influence the reasons which are attributed for the substance dependence. This study has examined the various reasons for substance use and   correlation of reasons for substance use with socio-demographic data, alcohol dependence severity, addiction beliefs in people with different attitudes. Subjects and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study done at A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore. After obtaining the ethical clearance the study was started. Simple random sampling technique (lottery method) was adopted to select the study participants. 90 study participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. The sample collection was done from December 2016 to November 2017. After obtaining a written informed consent, patients were screened for cognitive impairment with the help of Hindi mental status examination and then they were further evaluated using Socio demographic clinical proforma, Modified version of reasons for substance use scale (ReSUS), Addiction belief scale (ABS), Alcohol dependence scale, The scale for assessment of attitudes toward drinking and alcoholism, second version (SAADA II). Results: More the severity of dependence more are the reasons quoted. A significantly high number of people with attitude of rejection have quoted social enhancement as reasons for substance abuse. People with more severe dependence believe less in free will model. People who believe in free-will model have more rejection kind of attitude. Conclusion: These findings have a direct implication on the prevention and treatment of alcohol dependence in the Indian context. Discussing the treatment options and providing proper psychological interventions would be more acceptable than emphasizing on pharmacological therapies alone. Primary prevention should be planned to fit the needs of the people.