Stigmatization and Social Functioning Levels of Patients With Alcohol Use Disorders

The aim of this stu dy was to determine the levels of internalized stigma and social functioning of patients with alcohol use disorders.

The study is cross-sectional and descriptive. The data were collected between August 2017 and August 2018 using face-to-face interviews with 104 alcohol-dependent patients who were undergoing inpatient treatment. The data collection was done so through personal information forms, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS), and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). Descriptive statistics, t test, and correlation analysis were used in evaluating data.

Analysis of the sociodemographic characteristics of the patients showed that the mean age was 47.28 ± 10.10 years and 92.3% of the patients were male. The mean age of patients when they first started drinking alcohol is 19.37 ± 6.25 years. It was determined that 85.5% of the patients were also cigarette smokers, 37.5% were previously treated because of alcohol dependence, and 34.6% are currently having legal problems. Patients' ISMIS mean score was 71.99 ± 13.78, and the mean scores of subscales were moderate. In SFS, the mean scores of the "preliminary social activity" and "leisure activities" subscales and the total scale scores were at a moderate level and those of the other subscales (social withdrawal, interpersonal functionality, independent competence, independent performance, job-profession) were below average. As the ISMIS mean score increases, the SFS subscales' mean scores decrease (p < .05).

Alcohol-dependent patients negatively stigmatize themselves, and the functionality of their prosocial activity skills, along with their recreational activities, is inadequate. Furthermore, as ISMIS tends to increase, SFS (interpersonal functioning, prosocial activities, recreational activities, independence-performance) levels decrease.