Correlation of Alcohol Dependence and Delusions of Infidelity: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Delusions of infidelity are harmful malfunctioning beliefs that can bear significant impact on an individual’s interpersonal, social and occupational functioning. The exact prevalence is not known due to the lack of community surveys but is not uncommonly seen by practicing physicians. However, they are more common in male alcoholics, morbid jealousy is encountered mostly in old age psychiatry and clinicians should be familiar with its recognition and management. Aim: To identify the correlation of delusion of infidelity in patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at psychiatric Outpatient Department (OPD), SRM Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, for duration of one month in March 2020. Male patients attending the Psychiatric OPD, diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome as per International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) guidelines were selected. A total of 30 patients who attended the OPD in one month were screened by Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Inventory (MINI). Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) for alcohol dependence as well as Browns Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS) to assess their delusion was applied. Statistical analysis using regression analysis and correlation coefficient was done. Results: The mean of age of study group was 32.47 years with a standard deviation of 5.05 years. Out of the 30 male alcoholic patients, 13 patients had delusions of infidelity. The mean alcohol dependence score of study population was 27.6±11.51 and the mean BABS of study population was 9±10.77. Conclusion: There was a weak positive correlation between alcohol dependence and the delusions of infidelity. Physicians must have sufficient knowledge in identifying alcohol dependence syndrome.