The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities and relapses in males treated for alcohol dependence syndrome – Prospective study from tertiary de-addiction care unit in Kerala, India

Abstract

Kerala has high percapita consumption of alcohol among the other Indian states.

Objectives

Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in alcohol dependence syndrome and association of severity of alcohol dependence, personality dimensions, motivation and short delay relapses.

Methods

A prospective study in 91 male alcoholic patients for 2 months.

Results

Two groups not relapsed (NR = 48) and Relapsed (R = 43) were comparable in age, SADQ severity score, average units of alcohol consumption and years of alcohol use. Average consumption was 17 units/day (500 mL spirits), age of onset before 25 years 87%, mean age 40 and severe alcohol dependence was in 57% of study population. Co-morbid nicotine use was 80.2% and in equal numbers in the relapsers and non-relapsers group.

Conclusions

Bipolar disorder was the most prevalent (19.8%) in the study population. About 53.8% had alcohol dependence as the primary diagnosis with no associated psychiatric comorbidities. Anxiety disorders (12%) and personality disorders (19.7%) were found more in the relapsers group. Anxiety symptoms seemed to be a risk factor for relapsing compared to other comorbidities in bivariate analysis (Pearson Chi² 5.998, P = 0.014). Psychoticism among relapsers were high (Pearson Chi² 4.901, P value 0.027, OR: 3.782, 95% CI: 1.103–12.958). Co-morbidities were not statistically significant in multivariate (Pearson Chi² 1.765, P = 0.184, OR: 1.755, 95% CI: 0.763–4.037). Severity of alcohol dependence in relapsers was not significant (Pearson Chi² 0.650, P = 0.722). Motivation levels of 62.8% of relapsers were low, 32.6% medium and only 4.7% reported high motivation (Pearson Chi² 11.846, P = 0.003). Poor motivation proved to be a risk factor for future relapse (P = 0.008, 95% CI: 1.266–4.648, SE.332).

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.