Stigmatisation Of Alcohol Dependence: Attitudes Of Alcohol-Dependent Patients During Detoxifi Cation, Medical Staff And Students

The study investigated attitudes towards people with alcohol dependency and the acceptance of neurobiological as well as social causes of the disease. Methods: The 75-item questionnaire surveyed the views of 254 participants towards alcohol-dependent people and compared attitudes of affected and healthy individuals. The persons affected by alcohol dependency (n = 122) were surveyed during an inpatient treatment program following physical withdrawal. In the comparison groups, medical staff (n = 70) as well as students without medical background knowledge (n = 62) were interviewed. Results: We did not fi nd any differences in the attribution of neurobiological factors as causes of alcohol dependence between the affected persons and the medical staff. Students considered neurobiological factors to have less of a role in causing alcohol dependence compared to those affected and medical staff. Concerning social factors as causes of alcohol dependency, there were no signifi cant differences between the three groups. Affected persons assessed the character characteristics of alcohol-dependent patients overall more positively than medical staff and students. Conclusion: Those affected by alcohol dependency report more positive attitudes towards people suffereing from the disease than medical staff and students with no medical or psychological background.