Quality of life in alcohol-dependent subjects - A review

Powell, J. E.; Marshall, E. J.; Peters, T. J.; Marshall, Elizabeth Jane; Peters, Tim; Powell, Jane; Foster, J. H.

Abstract

Although alcohol misuse is a major cause of morbidity and mortality and an important health care burden, the Quality of Life (QoL) of alcohol misusing subjects has been little studied to date. For example, only 5 out of 442 accepted abstracts at a recent international QoL conference concerned alcohol-dependent subjects. This paper reviews the ongoing and published work in the area focusing upon QoL characteristics of alcohol-dependent subjects, the link between QoL comorbidity and alcoholism, QoL alcohol dependency and social environment, changes in QoL status as a result of abstinence, minimal or controlled drinking, QoL as a predictor of relapse to heavy drinking and the importance of using a QoL measure when assessing treatment outcomes together with some of the present difficulties with existing measures. The main conclusions from the review were that the QoL of alcohol-dependent subjects is very poor but improved as a result of abstinence, controlled or minimal drinking. The important factors in the QoL of alcohol-dependent subjects are psychiatric comorbidity, social environment and disturbed sleep.

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Publication Date: Aug 15, 1999
• Journal: Quality of Life Research
• Print ISSN: 0962-9343
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 255-261
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A%3A1008802711478
• Keywords: quality of life, alcohol-dependent subjects
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1096223
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008802711478