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ISSN 2063-5346
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Assessment of Mental health &Conjugal satisfaction among spouses of men with Alcohol dependence syndrome: A cross-sectional study

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Dr. Lalwani Karan Manohar, Dr. SP Chaukimath, Dr Santosh Ramdurg, Dr Manovijay B. Kalasagond, Dr Abdul Rafe Muqtadeer Baig
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.si7.396

Abstract

Alcohol dependence syndrome is a disorder affecting not only the individual but also its immediate family members and most importantly, spouse given their nature of the intimate relationship. Alcohol use disorder present in the male partner is associated with poor mental health and marital discord among spouses putting them at greater risk of suffering from psychiatric morbidities. Resilience of spouse and their ability to cope with the stress play an important role not only in positively adapting with difficult life situations but also helps in shaping the treatment of their husbands suffering from alcohol use disorder. Hence this study focuses on assessing the psychiatric morbidity, marital satisfaction along with coping strategies and resilience in spouses of men suffering from alcohol use disorder. Aim: To assess the pattern of psychiatric morbidity, marital satisfaction along with coping strategies and resilience in spouses of men diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome and explore the association. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional, non-interventional study where seventy-one spouses of men diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome were recruited for the study. ICD-11 was used to diagnose psychiatric morbidity in spouses. Severity of alcohol dependence in the husbands and consequences of drinking were assessed using severity of alcohol dependence questionnaire and drinker’s inventory of consequences respectively. Marital adjustment test and coping strategies inventory was used to assess marital satisfaction and coping strategies used by spouses respectively. Resilience was assessed using Connor-Davidson resilience scale. Results: Approximately half of the spouses (47%) were suffering from psychiatric illness. Generalised Anxiety disorder was the most common psychiatric morbidity. Our study concluded that there is a statistically significant association between the psychiatric morbidity of spouses and the severity of alcohol dependence in husbands. Marital satisfaction was found to be inversely proportional to severity of alcohol dependence. Most common coping strategies used by spouses of the alcohol dependent patients were problem focused and emotion focused engagement strategies. While assessing resilience we found that majority of the spouses scored in lowest quartile range. Increased severity of alcohol dependence in men was associated with decreased resilience in women. Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity in spouses of alcohol dependent men is high with marital satisfaction being reportedly low. Wives adopted same coping strategies irrespective of the severity of alcohol dependence in husbands and majority of the spouses exhibited low resilience. Hence addressing these areas will be of utmost help to spouses as they play an important role in the treatment of their husbands suffering from alcohol use disorder.

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