Addiction Patient’s Relationship to Self and Predictions on the Estimated Hospitalization Duration

Abstract

Addictions are physical and/or psychological dependency disorders characterized by repetitive and compulsive behaviours in which the individual has difficulty controlling impulses. In this study, behaviours are defined as chronic alcohol or substance use. Thus, compulsions will generate negative consequences on a person's quality of life. Among the causes of addiction are genetic and biological factors, environmental factors, trauma, abuse, lack of emotional support, stress, social pressures, poor coping mechanisms, social and cultural factors.

Material and method

In this study, part of a larger study, 81 patients diagnosed with toxic-nutritional liver cirrhosis, chronic alcohol users, aged between 32 and 68 years were included. The study period was of two years, and anamnestic data (number of hospitalization days, hospitalization frequency) were collected for the period 2015-2022. In order to carry out the linear research, SPSS statistical software was used. Patients, after obtaining consent, were administered a psychological questionnaire designed to assess unconditional self-acceptance, based on the hypothesis that low self-tolerance generates self-destructive behaviours, i.e. addictions.

Results

The necessary statistical steps were followed in order to check the database and it was possible to obtain correlations between the number of hospitalization days, the hospitalization frequency and the scores obtained in the questionnaire. Finally, it was possible to generate a simple linear regression prediction with the number of hospitalisation days /inpatient frequency as the dependent variable and the test score as the independent variable.

The results showed that as unconditional self-acceptance decreases (decreasing score), the hospitalization duration or the number of patient presentations to the doctor increases.

Conclusions

Unconditional self-acceptance, environmental tolerance, coping mechanisms have a major impact on the patient's well-being and compliance with treatment. Psychosomatic disorders accompany the addiction patient to a much greater extent than the diagnosis made by clinicians. This demonstrates the need for a diagnostic tool, the lack of collaboration with the psychiatrist, ultimately generating costs on the health system and reducing the quality of the patient’s life.

In order to optimise the diagnosis, a tool within the clinician's reach (internal medicine doctor, gastroenterologist, etc.) and a real collaboration with the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist is necessary.