Quality of life and alcoholism.

Abstract

In this investigation we tried to analyze the importance of training self-efficiency (independent variable) for the treatment of alcohol dependency, seen in maintenance treatment and modification/ improvement of the quality of life, this last one being the ultimate goal of the intervention and measure their effectiveness (dependent variable). In this sense, we interviewed 146 alcohol addicts being treated in AUC, 90 (61.6%) of whom abandoned treatment after the inpatient phase, 35 (24%) after the 1st consultation and 21 (14.4%) were kept under treatment. This is still a problem with gender, and most individuals are men constituting 87% of the sample. Ages are between 23 and 68 years, with a median value of 44.7 (SD = 9, 127). To assess the study variables were used: the English version of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) (Canavarro, 1999) to assess the psychopathological symptoms; the Portuguese version of the Clinical Inventory of the Self-concept (ICAC) (Vaz Serra, 1985), to assess aspects and the Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief version (WHOQOL-Bref) “is intended to evaluate the quality of life, as defined by the WHO: the individual perception of their position in life, within the context of culture and value systems in which it is inserted and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns “(Canavarro, Simões, Vaz Serra Pereira, Rijo, Pint, Gameiro, Walls and Ride, 2007, p.77). The results allow us to conclude that the problem of alcohol abuse is still a problem related to the male gender, with our sample consisting of 87% of males and 13% of females. This study was designed so that we can understand and clarify which variable (s) more precisely the self-efficacy and the psychopathology interfere in the treatment and quality of life the dependent alcoholic.