Asociality in clinical presentation of alcohol addiction: its relation to autoaggressive patterns and suicidal behavior
Alcohol addiction is still one of the main causes of completed suicide and suicide attempts for male population. There exist different classifications describing so-called ‘quiet’ and ‘violent’ alcohol addicts. As a rule of thumb it is assumed that ‘quiet’ men with alcohol addiction (MWAD) are more inclined to suicidal actions while so-called ‘violent’ MWAD, on the contrary, are more vital and hedonistic. This issue still remains open. To clarify this issue, a group of alcohol abusers inclined to antisocial actions was analyzed. Aim. To study suicidological characteristics of a group of men with alcohol addiction with a tendency to antisocial behavior. Material and Methods: 146 Individuals suffering from alcohol addiction with the second stage of the disease were examined. Groups of alcohol abusers were formed: inclined and non-inclined to antisocial actions. Aa a diagnostic tool a questionnaire for identification of autoaggressive patterns and of their predictors in the past and present was used, as well as LSI, MiniMult tests, parental prescriptions scale. Data processing was carried out on the basis of computer programs SPSS-Statistics and STATISTICA 12. Results and Discussion. The data of study contradict commonly accepted thinking. Alcohol addicts inclined to antisocial actions have 7 times more suicidal attempts in anamnesis (16.6% against 2.1%), and exhibit suicidal ideation 4 times more often (42.5% against 13.0%). Besides, they are notably more inclined to hypothymia in abstinence and postabstinence periods (53.7% against 21.7%). The same tendencies are observed in risky modes of behavior and in thermal pathology. Discovered clinico-psychological peculiarities correspond to their clinico-suicidological specifications. Conclusions: A common stereotype of ‘unquiet’ alcoholics being suicidologically safe is nothing less than a myth. An image of ‘antisocial’ alcohol addict should alert a specialist in regard to possible suicidal and non-suicidal autoaggression.