A Comparative Study of Quality of Life, Social Support and Dysfunction in Alcohol Dependent Men Attending a De-Addiction Clinic in India

The social consequences of alcohol users at the individual level significantly impacts personal life, work-related areas and family relationships. The idea of quality of life (QoL) incorporates these dimensions and can be defined as “an individual’s perception of their position in life, and in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns”. The present study brings out the various aspects of the quality of life and provides valuable information regarding the specific areas of deficit, which require greater attention by the clinician. The study was carried out at the Sir Sunder Lal Hospital, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Convenience sampling with a cross-sectional assessment in one sitting was used for this study. The sample comprised of men aged 18–55 years under two groups: 86 subjects with alcohol dependence and 85 controls. Subjects were examined using a Sociodemographic Profile Sheet,Clinical Profile Sheet,General Health Questionnaire (Hindi), World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref, Social Support Questionnaire, Dysfunction Analysis Questionnaire (DAQ). Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16 was used for data analysis. The two groups had a similar demography. Significant positive correlation was seen between age at onset and psychological health (r = 0.213, p < 0.049) and social relationship domains (r = 0.223, p < 0.039) money spent on drug abuse and environment domain(r = 0.230, p < 0.033). These data suggest that the QoL of alcohol dependent patients was impaired across the whole spectrum of patients. Dysfunction (as assessed on DAQ) also did not show significant correlation with QoL, though almost all the variables on DAQ showed negative association (higher QoL meant lower dysfunction). Based on the results of this study, clinicians should monitor the impact of alcoholism on QoL and the treatment plan should be multidisciplinary, including medical, social, and psychiatric components.