The relationship between stigmatization and self-esteem and relapses in alcohol and substance use disorder patients

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STIGMATIZATION AND SELF-ESTEEM AND RELAPSES IN ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PATIENTS INTRODUCTION AND AIM: One of the most important problems in the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorder (ASUD) is high relapse rates and there are few studies in the literature examining the factors associated with high relapse rates. Although the negative effects of high stigmatization and low self-esteem in the treatment of ASUD are known, studies investigating their relationship with relapses are limited. Therefore, in our study, we aimed to examine the relationship between stigmatization and self-esteem and relapses in patients with BPD. The hypothesis of the study is that high stigmatization scores and low self-esteem are associated with high relapse rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 102 patients receiving inpatient treatment at SEAH Addiction Inpatient Detoxification Center. DSM-5 based structured diagnostic interview, sociodemographic data form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Stigma Mechanism in Substance Use Scale and BAPI were applied to the patients. In addition, some scales used in clinical routine were utilized in the study. Patients were evaluated for relapse through telephone interviews with themselves and their first-degree relatives at the 1st, 3rd and 6th months after discharge. RESULTS: At the end of the sixth month, 69.6% of the patients relapsed. There was no significant difference between the stigmatization levels of the groups with and without relapse after treatment. According to the regression models, low self-esteem was found to predict a high relapse rate at 6 months after treatment. Patients with moderate self-esteem were less likely to relapse than patients with low self-esteem. It was found that the high number of hospitalizations due to addiction in the past, high craving score on the first day of hospitalization, not completing the SAMBA program applied during treatment and not having a previous treatment application due to addiction predicted a high relapse rate in all months. While the presence of physical illness was associated with a low relapse rate in the early period, low income level predicted a high relapse rate at the end of the 6th month. CONCLUSION: Determining the risk factors for relapse is important for the development of treatment strategies. This study is one of the few follow up studies in this field in the literature. Further research is needed to develop new models for the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders. Keywords: Alcohol, self esteem, stigma, substance, relapse