Young female psychiatric patients' reasons for excessive alcohol use : a qualitative interview study

• There is a strong and multidirectional link between excessive alcohol use and psychiatric disorders. A large proportion (46.6%) of young female psychiatric outpatients report drinking above hazardous levels. This study explores high risk-drinking young female psychiatric patients' view of the role of alcohol in their lives. A further aim was to identify factors that may facilitate changes in drinking habits. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were performed. The main areas of interest were: positive/negative aspects of alcohol use, risk situations for excessive drinking and factors facilitating change in drinking habits. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis, a process that includes identifying, coding and categorizing components of the interviews. Nine female high risk-drinking psychiatric patients (mean age 22.2 ± 3.5 years) were interviewed. The reasons for excessive alcohol use were either external, in which case the young females wanted to live up to social expectations, or internal, in which case alcohol was used as an escape from negative feelings or for the purpose of self-harm. The participants requested help from psychiatric care-givers to focus on reasons for drinking and help with addressing underlying needs more functionally. To help avoid the development of complicated comorbidity, psychiatric providers must be aware of the role of alcohol in the patient's life. The categories identified in this study can be used by psychiatric health-care professionals in an interview scheme or checklist when meeting young female patients with excessive drinking.

Nyckelord

Young females

risk drinking

hazardous alcohol use

harmful alcohol use

psychiatric patients

qualitative

Psychiatry

Psykiatri

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)