Marital Quality and Social Functioning in spouses of individuals with and without Alcohol Dependence

Introduction: Alcohol is one of the leading substances abused worldwide. Alcohol affects the user’s ability to perceive, integrate and process information and can increase the user’s sense of personal power and domination over others especially their spouses. Alcohol addiction causes marital disharmony and instances of family violence leading to an unhealthy ambience in the family environment. This study intends to explore two important areas related to the spouses of alcohol addicted individuals i.e. marital quality and their social functioning. Methodology: Study Design: Cross sectional comparative studyVenue: Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Samples: total sample size of the study was sixty; 30 participants were the spouses of Alcohol dependent (AD) who fulfilled the criteria of ICD-10-DCR and 30 participants were from normal population. Statistical measures: Descriptive statistics chi-square and independent samples’ T test used for comparison and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used for correlation. Results: Spouses of alcohol addicted individuals perceived significantly lesser marital quality and social functioning than the spouses of non-alcoholic individuals. There is positive relation between marital quality of life and social functioning of spouses of alcohol dependent individuals. Conclusion: Spouses of alcohol dependent individuals have lower marital quality as well as social functioning in comparison to spouses of individuals not dependent on alcohol.  Keywords: Marital quality, social functioning, spouses, alcohol dependenc