Relapse Profile of Patients with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome: A Descriptive Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Relapse among alcohol dependent patients is a multifactorial phenomenon which has been associated with various personal and sociodemographic factors. A hospital based descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted among 100 patients presenting to Psychiatry department of Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospital, using convenience sampling, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria over a study period of one year (February 2025 to January2026). Socio demographic proforma and Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES) were used to study the profile of patients with alcohol dependence who have relapsed. The results of this study showed majority of the respondents were male (80.0%), married (87.0%) and had history of consuming alcohol for more than ten years (69.0%). While most had relapsed once prior to this relapse only 37.0% were admitted for treatment. Most of the participants reported craving (32.0%) as the reason for current relapse followed by peer pressure (24.0%). The mean presumptive stress score in the past one year in this study was found to be 215.8 ± 177.14 and majority of the respondents reported of experiencing severe stress. The findings of this study underscore the need to understand the role of various sociodemographic and psychosocial factors involved in relapse of alcohol dependence syndrome and address them for its better management.