High-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence

CONTEXT: Severity of alcohol dependence is related to the high-risk behavior of alcohol dependents. AIM: To assess the high-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence and study the association between them. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is a descriptive study of high-risk behavior in patients with alcohol dependence, conducted over a period of 15-month duration that is from January 2011 to April 2012 on 200 alcohol-dependent patients (178 men and 22 women) in the Department of Psychiatry, Mamata Medical College and General Hospital, Khammam (TS), India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients and their caregivers fulfilling the selection criteria were included in the study, and informed consent was obtained. Interview was carried out after 2 weeks to rule out the possibility of the presence of withdrawal symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients. Tools used for data collection include Sociodemographic and Clinical Profile Schedule, Clinical Institute of Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, Mini–Mental Status Examination, Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire, and High Risk Behavior Questionnaire. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression test were used. RESULTS: The occurrence of high-risk behavior was substantial among patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Event analysis method indicated that road traffic accidents associated with prior heavy drinking was the most frequently observed high-risk behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The study reiterates the relationship between alcohol and sexual behavior and also highlights that individuals dependent on alcohol are a specifically vulnerable group.