Predictor variables of deression among alcoholics

Abstract

ABSTRACT Alcoholism Is one of the problems of the modern world, that may appear together with depression. Since, the presence of depression may interfere with treatment of alcoholism, risk factors for depression among alcoholics should be identified. The aim of the present study is to identify the predictor variables of depression among alcoholics. Thus, risk factors or the high risk groups who possess risk factors could be determined. The group of subjects contained 71 male probands of Alcohol and Addiction Treatment and Research Center of Bakırköy Mental Hospital, Istanbul. The subjects were asked to fill out a questionnaire which included demographic and health related variables, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Predictor variables of depression among alcoholics were investigated by multiple regression analysis conducted between the BDI score (dependent variable) and demographic and health related variables (independent variables). Although identified demographic and health related variables were found to explain nearly.61 of the variance at depression score, only four of them were significant: duration of marriage (negatively related), vxphysical problems due to alcohol usage (positively related), problems with wife due to alcohol (positively related), and being divorced (negatively related). Those significant variables can be grouped into two: variables related to marital life and another related to health problems due to alcohol consumption. It is found that as marital life problems increases, depression level of the alcoholic also increases. That is, as marital problems due to alcohol usage become more serious and the marriage terminates with divorce due to alcohol, depression level of the individual increases. This finding indicates the neccessity of inclusion of the spouse in the treatment of alcoholic. On the other hand, being divorced, due to any reason other than alcohol, appears to associate with lower levels of depression. It is possible that, termination of marriage due to alcohol may lead to internal, stable, and global attributions about divorce, which is related to depression (Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978). However, if the reason for divorce is not alcohol, individual may not make that kind of attribution, thus, being divorced due to any reason other than alcohol associates with lower levels of depression. The present study shows that, as health problems vaidue to alcohol become more severe, depression level also Increases. Although it is not possible to support with the present data, it may be thought that, health problems act as a mediator between alcoholism and depression, and cause the latter. For future research, it is suggested to conduct a similar design with female subjects. Since the importance of marital life problems is revealed by the present study, they should be investigated in more detail in the future research..van