The author investigated family backgrounds, attitudes to the treatment and associated illness of alcoholic disorders, including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence with or without alcohol induced mental disorder, among 41 alcoholic patients who were ...
The author investigated family backgrounds, attitudes to the treatment and associated illness of alcoholic disorders, including alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence with or without alcohol induced mental disorder, among 41 alcoholic patients who were admitted to dept. of neuropsychiatry, Soon Chun Hang Univ. Hosp. for last five years.
The results were summarized as follows ;
1. The ratio of alcoholic disorders among neuropsychiatric inpatients has been increased yearly, from 1.74% during 1979 to 6.62% during 1983. Average ratio of alcoholic disorders for 5 years was 3.35%.
2. The male patients were 20 times more in number than female patients.
3. Mean age was 28.0 years on alcohol abuse, 44.12 years on alcohol dependence.
4. 58.3% of alcohol abuse showed the impairment of occupational function and 72.4% of alcohol dependence had the impairment.
5. Three were no significant differences between patient's marital status and educational background.
6. Parent loss before the age of 15 due to death among the patients were 22.0%.
7. The numbers of siblings were 4.57 in average and male siblings are twice more than female siblings.
8. The patients who were in the last half of siblings are twice more than being in the first half of siblings.
9. The incidence of persistent, excessive drinking among the first relatives of alcohol dependence was significantly higher than that of alcohol abuse.
10. Affective disorders were the most frequently associated mental disorders. And schizophrenia, personality, disorders, borderline or antisocial, substance use disorder other than alcohol, paranoid disorder are also associated with alcoholic disorders in order.
11. Liver disorders such as hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were the most frequently associated physical disorder with alcoholic disorders. And hypertension, diabetes mellitus, duodenal with alcoholic disorders in order. The incidence of physical disorders associated with alcohol dependence was significantly higher than that of alcohol abuse.
12. About half of alcoholic disorders admitted via E.R. Persistent, excessive drinking as a motive for seeking treatment is only in 29.3% of alcoholics. Other motives for seeking treatment are associated mental or physical illness, alcohol withdrawal symptoms and aggressive actingout.
13. Many alcoholics admitted one time (65.9%) and for brief duration no more than 10 days (55.1%) to our dept. of neuropsychiatry. And many alcoholics (51.2%) discharged against doctor's advice.
According to the aforementioned results, we could estimate that the prevalence of alcoholic disorders seem to be increasing on recent years, though these results are not enough to apply directly to general population.
Eventhough this disorders cause many problems on occupation, mental or physical condition the patients himself or family member were not cooperative to treatment. And they did not consider the alcoholic disorders as a disease until physical symptoms were developed.