Miloš Židanik
Health centre Maribor
Sodna ulica 13
2000 Maribor

 Key words: alcoholism, personality disorders, depression, risk factors

Abstract. The aim of this article is the analysis of adult general population regarding people with alcohol-related problems: to establish the prevalence, comorbidity with most frequent axis 1 and axis 2 diagnoses and some risk factors that may contribute to the development of alcohol-related disorders.

A selfreport questionnaire was send to a randomised sample of adult general population (n =5853). There was a 29,4 % compliance rate and the final analysis was performed on 1655 questionnaires, from 772 man and 883 woman. The average age of people in the sample was 42,4 ± 13,3 years with median 41.

Alcohol abuse was established at 20,5 % man and 7,1 % woman and alcohol dependence at 8 % man and 0,9 % woman. In this subsample there was a high prevalence of depression (32,7 % man and 52 % woman), somatoform disorders (22,7 % man and 31 % woman), suicidal ideation (6,4 % man and 16,9 % woman) and psychotic signs (35 % man and 38 % woman). There was a significant proportion of possible personality disorders: at 58,6 % man and 73,2 % woman. In this sample there was a high prevalence of risk factors in their childhood – alcoholism at relatives (37,8 %), financial problems in families (24,4 %), parental separation or death in the family (22 %), all significant higher as at people with no alcohol related problems in general population.  

Regarding the high risk of this specific population (high comorbidity), there is a necessity for a better co-operation with general practitioners for a better screening and treatment plan for this population.