Anxiety Among Alcoholics and Non-Alcoholics Essay Example for Free

Anxiety Among Alcoholics and Non-Alcoholics Essay gipAlcohol is one of the most widely hired drug substances in the world. For m every people, drinking dry bev timege is nonhing more than a pleasant way to relax. People with intoxicant use disorders, however, drink to excess, endangering both themselves and some opposites. In the mental health argona intoxicantism is caused mostly by falloff, care and stress, on the other hand it also champions to falloff and stress. The set out subject field aims to par embossment and anxiety among soaking drinkics and non- alcoholics. It was assumed that depression and anxiety may be the risk factors for alcoholism. A sample of 100 people (50 alcoholics and 50 non-alcoholics) was willy-nilly selected from Delhi. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used to collect data on depression and anxiety. t-test was administered to compare two groups. The result of the study showed that alcoholic group was lofty schooler on depression as salubrious as anxiety than the non alcoholic group, and it was also found that there is no clear cut unremarkable relationship among alcoholism and depression and anxiety.Alcoholism is perhaps most sinewyly associated with antisocial character disorder and drug debauch, but its relationship to other forms of psychopathology has become increasingly evident. In particular, investigations of alcoholic samples indicate a strong co-occurrence of alcoholism with diverse form of anxiety and depressive disorder (Barbor et al, 1992 Chambless et al, 1987 Hasegawa 1991 keller 1994 Nunes, Quitkin Berman, 1988 Penick, 1994 Schuckit, Irwin Brown, 1990). ______________________________________________________________________ * buster professor, Deptt. Of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh **Research scholar, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.According to Nijhawan (1972) Anxiety, one of the most pervasive psychological phenomenons of the mod ern era refers to a persistent distressing psychological state arising from an inner conflict. Depression can be defined as a state of mind, or more specifically, a mental disorder, characterized by labored of the individuals vitality, his mood, his desires, hopes, aspirations and of his self-esteem. It may range from no more than a mild feeling of fatigue and sadness to the most profound state of apathy with complete, psychotic disregard for reality. (Mendelssohn, 1963). Alcoholism can lead people into serious trouble, and can be physically and mentally destructive.Currently alcohol use is pertain in half of all crimes, murders, accidental deaths, and suicides. There are also many health problems associated with alcohol use such as brain damage, cancer, heart disease, diseases of the liver, depression anxiety and other mental disorders. Results from club surveys and epidemiologic samples indicate that substantial comorbidity also exists for depression, anxiety and alcoholism in the general population (Regier et al, 1990 Helzer Pryzbeck, 1988 Kendler et al, 1995). The high co-occurrence of these syndromes, therefore, represents a significant clinical and public health issue that is likely to affect a substantial proportion of the general population.Although the comorbidity of alcoholism with anxiety and depressive disorders has been extensively papersed in both clinical and epidemiologic investigations, the specific mechanisms underlying these experiences remain a source of debate. One widely accepted guesswork is that these forms of comorbidity reflect a causal relationship of alcoholism with anxiety and depression. Support for a causal association is based partly on observations that alcohol is commonly used to self- medicate tokens of negative affect, and so, alcoholism oftentimes develops as a secondary diagnosing to anxiety and depression (Meyer Kranzler,1990 Hesselbrock, Meyer Keener,1985 Lader,1972 Merikangas et al,1985).The 18-month follow- up of participants of the Psychiatric Morbidity among Adults alert in Private Households, 2000 survey (Singleton Lewis, 2003) provides an opportunity to determine whether excessive alcohol employment and abnormal patterns of use are risk factors for incident anxiety and depression in the general population. The study also examined the revert relationship, considering whether anxiety and depression are risk factors for the development of abnormal patterns of alcohol consumption.However, evidence for a causal relationship is not unidirectional as alcoholism is often observed as a primary election disorder, and the presence of problem drinking itself may generate severe anxiety or depressive syndromes (Mendelson Mello, 1979, Nathan, OBrien Lowenstein, 1971 Schuckit, Irwin Smith, 1994 Stockwell, Hodgson Rankin, 1982). Heavy alcohol consumption has been implicated in the development of anxiety and depression (Schuckit, 1983). Many cross-sectional studies become determine consi derable comorbidity between anxiety and depression, and alcohol aversion. For example, data from four large community based epidemiological studies (n422 000) in Europe and the USA consistently submitd a two- to threefold increase in the spirit prevalence of anxiety and depression in those with DSMIII or DSMIIIR alcohol abuse or addiction (Swendsen et al, 1998).If anxiety disorders and alcoholism are free-and-easyly related, there should be a high rate of alcoholism among patients be treated for anxiety disorders. Two studies (Torgersen, 1986 Cloninger et al, 1981) of the prevalence of alcoholism in patients being treated for anxiety psychoneurosis were identified. These investigations suggest a lifetime population prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence of approximately 14%.The survey of the relevant literature made it quite obvious that much of the studies show a prevalence of depression and anxiety among alcoholics. However, previous studies have also pointed forbidden th e disaster of alcoholism as risk factors for depression and anxiety. At the equivalent time, literature does not provide any clear cut direction towards the casual relationship between alcoholism and depression and anxiety. Thus, despite the strong association of alcoholism with anxiety and depressive disorders, no universal consensus has been reached regarding the specific mechanisms underlying these associations. The present study aims to commit depression and anxiety among alcoholic and non-alcoholic peoples. MethodSample sample of the present study consisted of 100 subjects (50 alcoholics and 50 non alcoholics). The alcoholics were identified through survey from different living areas (including rural, urban and semi-urban) of Delhi and 50 alcoholics were randomly selected for the study. In the same way the non-alcoholic subjects were also selected randomly from different parts of Delhi. The age range of the subjects was between 25 to 50 years.ToolsBeck Depression Inventory B DI -2nd was designed by Beck, send Brown (1996). This self report scale has shown to document take aims of depression. BDI -2nd edition contains 21 items, each answer being scored on a scale value of 0 to 3. The cut offs used are 0-13 Minimal depression 14-19 Mild depression 20-28 Moderate depression and 29-63 serious Depression. Higher primitive scorer indicates more severe depression symptoms.Beck Anxiety Inventory was designed Beck, Epstein, Brown, Steer (1988). This self report scale has shown to document levels of Anxiety symptoms in a valid and consistent manner. BAI contains 21 items each answer being scored on a scale value of 0 to 3. Each symptom item has four possible answer choices not at all (assigned value =o) Mildly (it did not bother me much) (assigned value=1) Moderately (it was unpleasant but I could stand it) (assigned value =2) and Severely (I could save stand it) (assigned value =3). The values for each item are summed together to yield an overall or score for all 21 symptoms that can range between 0 and 63 points. A total score of 0-7 is interpreted as a minimal level of Anxiety, 8-15 as mild, 16-25 as yield and 26-63 as severe. The BAI is psychometrically sound. Interval consistency =.92 to.94, for adults and test-retest (one week interval) reliability is .75.Procedure The test for depression and anxiety were administered on the subjects individually after establishing the rapport with them. Each and every item was explained to the subject, and then he was asked to respond truly for the item. Thus data was collected for depression and anxiety from alcoholic and non-alcoholic people. t-test was applied to find out the significance of struggle between the Mean rack up of different groups.ResultsTABLE-1Showing comparison of Mean for depression and anxiety scores between the alcoholics and non-alcoholics Variables Groups N Mean Std.deviation t df P depression Alcoholic nonalcoholic 50 50 35.7600 17.1000 10.17913 6.15530 11.092 98 . 01* Anxiety Alcoholicnonalcoholic 50 50 38.0800 18.3200 11.55261 6.18570 10.662 98 .01**Significant at .01 level of confidenceTABLE-1 further shows the results obtained by the comparison of alcoholics and non alcoholic group for depression and anxiety. The obtained results show that the mean depression score (M=35.7600) for alcoholic people is higher than the mean depression score (M=17.1000) for non alcoholic people, and the difference between the two means (t=11.092) is statistically significant at .01 level of confidence. Consequently it reveals the findings that alcoholic people have higher depression than the non-alcoholics.The TABLE-1 also shows the results of the comparison of alcoholic and non-alcoholic people on anxiety. The mean anxiety scores (M=38.0800) of alcoholics is found very much higher than the mean anxiety scores (M=18.3200) of the non-alcoholics and the two means difference (t=10.662) is statistically significant at .01 level of confidence. It indicates that alc oholic people have higher anxiety than the non-alcoholic people. preachingThe basis of the above results may safely be concluded that the alcoholics are highly depressed and passing anxious than the non-alcoholic people. However, the high prevalence of these anxiety and depressives symptoms does not necessarily mean that these alcoholic individuals will demonstrate the long term course or require the long term treatments associated with DSM-III-R major depressive and anxiety disorders. The lay nature of the association between Depression Anxiety and alcohol is difficult to determine from studies, which uncertainty arising as to whether alcohol is a risk factor or a form of self medication. The finding of the present study support the findings of Hartka et al, (1991) that reported a significant correlation between baseline consumption of alcohol and depression at follow-up based on data from eight longitudinal studies. However, in this analytic thinking control of confounders was limited to age, gender and interval between measurements.Overall, our findings are contradictory with those of Wang Patten (2001) who observed no excess morbidity among those who drank daily, those who drank in binges (more than five drinks), those who had more than one drink daily, and among drinkers in general. Alcohol dependence was not considered. Similarly, in a randomly selected community cohort with follow-up at 3 and 7 years, Moscato et al (1997) found no excess incidence of depressive symptoms among those with alcohol problems (defined as a DSMIV diagnosis of alcohol dependence or abuse or drinking more than five drinks a daytime on one or more occasions per week).It may safely be concluded on the bases of previous literature and result of the present study that there is no clear cut casual relationship between depressive and anxiety disorder and alcoholism. In the similar way our findings of the study show that the alcoholics are more depressive and anxious than the non alcoholics. Though it does not show any clear cut picture either alcohol is risk factor for depression and anxiety or depression and anxiety is a risk factor for alcoholism.ReferencesBabor, T., Wolfson, A., Boivin, D., Radouco-Thomas, S., Clark, W. (1992). Alcoholism, culture, and psychopathology A comparative study of French, French Canadian, and American alcoholics. In Helzer, J., Canino, G. (eds) Alcoholism in North America, Europe, and Asia. vernal York, NY Oxford University foreshorten 182-195.Beck, A.T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., Steer, R.A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety Psychometric Properties, Journal of Consulting and clinical Psychology 56893-897Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., Brown, B.K. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory 2nd Ed.). San Antonio. Tx Psychological Corporation.Chambless, D., Cherney, J., Caputo, G., Rheinstein, B. (1987). Anxiety disorders and alcoholism A study with inpatient alcoholics. J Anxiety Disord 129-40.Cloninger, C.R., Martin, R.L., Clayton, P., Guze, S.B. (1981). A blind follow-up and family study of anxiety neurosis preliminary analysis of the St Louis 500, in Anxiety New Research and changing Concepts, Edited by Klein, D.F., Rabkin, J. New York, Raven Press,Hartka, E., Johnstone, B., Leino,V. (1991). A meta-analysis of depressive symptomatology and alcohol consumption over time. British Journal of Addiction 86 1283-1298.Hasegawa, K., Mukasa, H., Nakazawa, Y., HK., Nakamura, K. (1991). basal and secondary depression in alcoholism-clinical features and family history. Drug Alcohol Depend 27275-281.Helzer, J., Pryzbeck, T. (1988). The co-occurrence of alcoholism with other psychiatric disorders in the general population and its impact on treatment. J Stud Alcohol 49219-224.Hesselbrock, M., Meyer, R., Keener, J. (1985). Psychopathology in hospitalized alcoholics. Arch Gen psychiatry 421050- 1055.Keller, M. (1994). Dysthymia in clinical practice Course, upshot and impact on the community. Acta Psychiatr Scand 383(Suppl)24-34.Kendler, K., Waiters, E., Neale, M., Kessler, R., Heath, A., Eaves, L. The structure of the genetic and environmental risk factors for six major psychiatric disorders in women. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995 52374-383.Lader, M. (1972). The nature of anxiety. Br J Psychiatry 121 481-491.Mendelson, J., Mello, N. (1979). Medical progress biologic concomitants of alcoholism. N Engl J Med 301912-921.Mendelssohn, V.P. (1963). Depression in incyclopedia of mental health. Vol.II, Franklin Walts, Inc.Merikangas, K., Leckman, J., Prusoff, B., Pauls, D., Weissman, M. (1985). Familial transmission of depression and alcoholism. Arch Gen Psychiatry 42367-372.Meyer, R., Kranzler, H. (1990). Alcohol abuse/dependence and co-morbid anxiety and depression. In Maser J, Cloninger C (eds) Comorbidity of Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Washington, DC American Psychiatric Press 283-292.Moscato, B., Russell, M., Zielezny, M. (1997). Gender differences in the relation between depressive symptoms and alcohol problems a longitudinal perspective. American Journal of Epidemiology 146 966-974.Nathan, P., OBrien, J., Lowenstein, L. (1971). Operant studies of chronic alcoholism Interaction of alcohol and alcoholics. In Roach, P., Mclssac, W., Creaven, P. (eds) Biological Aspects of Alcohol. Austin, TX University of Texas Press.Nijhawan, H. K. (1972). Anxiety in school children. New Delhi Wiley Eastern Private Limited.Nunes, E., Quitkin, F., Berman, C. (1988). Panic disorder and depression in female alcoholics. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 49441- 443.Penick, E., Powell, B., Nickel, E., Bingham, S., Riesenmy, K., Read, M. (1994). Comorbidity of lifetime psychiatric disorder among male alcoholic patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 181289-1293.Regier, D., Farmer, M., Rae, D., Locke, B., Keith, S., Judd, L. (1990).Comorbidity of mental disorders with alcohol and other drug abuse Results from the Epidemiologic Catchment knowledge base (ECA) study. JAMA 2642511-2518.Schuckit, M. (1983). Alcoh olic patients with secondary depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140 711-714.Schuckit, M., Hesselbrock, V. (1994). Alcohol dependence and anxiety disorders What is the relationship? Am J Psychiatry, 1511723-1734.Schuckit, M., Irwin, M., Brown, S. (1990) .The history of anxiety symptoms among 171 primary alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol 5134-41.Schuckit, M., Irwin, M., Smith, T. (1994). One-year incidence rate of major depression and other psychiatric disorders in 239 alcoholic men. Addiction 89441-445.Schuckit, M., Tipp, J., Bergman, M., Reich, W., Hesselbrock, V., Smith, T. (1997). compare of induced and independent major depressive disorder in 2,945 alcoholics. Am J Psychiatry 154948-957.Singleton, N. Lewis, G. (2003). Better or Worse A Longitudinal Study of the Mental Health of Adults Living in Private Households in Great Britain. London Stationery Office. .Stockwell, T., Hodgson, R., Rankin, H. (1982). Tension reduction and the effects of prolonged alcohol consumption. Br J Addict 7765-73.Stockwell, T., Smail, P., Hodgson, R., Canter, S. (1984). Alcohol dependence and phobic anxiety states. II. A retrospective study. Br J Psychiatry 14458-63.Swendsen, J., Merikangas, K., Canino,G. (1998). The comorbidity of alcoholism with anxiety and depressive disorders in four geographic communities. Comprehensive Psychiatry 39176-184.Torgersen, S. (1986). Childhood and family characteristics in panic andgeneralized anxiety disorders. Am J Psychiatry 143630-632Wang, J. Patten, S. B. (2001). Alcohol consumption and major depression findings from a follow-up study. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 46 632-638.