BACKGROUND There has been an increased rate of diagnosis of alcohol dependent syndrome (ADS) observed in our psychiatry clinic constituting a major portion of them into inpatients care. Evaluation of psychiatric complaints in patients with alcohol dependant syndrome is challenging at times. Depression has been found to be a common psychological association seen in them. Suicidality and other selfharming behaviour as a co morbidity are also not uncommon. There is dearth of information available on occurrence of alcohol dependent syndrome in psychiatry attendees and pattern of alcohol use especially from this part of north-eastern region of Assam. We wanted to assess the occurrence and pattern of alcohol use disorder amongst patients attending psychiatry unit of a tertiary care centre in upper Assam, estimate its bed occupancy rate, and determine psychiatric comorbidity among them. METHODS A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted among 104 consecutive subjects attending Psychiatry department of Jorhat Medical College, Assam. After thorough examination and informed written consent subjects were administered with alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT) and MINI plus. Semi structured socio demographic Proforma was used to collect information on demographic data and different variables. As it was a descriptive study, data collected were organized in frequency tables and analysed using percentage. RESULTS In present study, prevalence of alcohol dependent syndrome in psychiatry set up was 12.68 % and bed occupancy rate of ADS was 13 %. Majority were between the age 28 and 47 years, males, Hindus, married, belonged to nuclear family and hailed from upper lower social class followed by lower middle class. Approximately 18 % of cases had psychiatric co morbidity and majority of them had depression and suicidality. CONCLUSIONS A major number of alcohol dependant patients attended psychiatry OPD and occupied almost half of the beds as inpatients of a tertiary care hospital. Mood disorder was the commonest comorbid condition in these patients. Though the results cannot be generalized, it may definitely reflect the magnitude of alcohol use in this region. Hence forth a psychiatry unit like ours warrant a full-fledged department for treatment of ADS and alcohol related problems and some policy to work for its prevention. KEYWORDS ADS, Occurrence, Bed Occupancy, Psychiatric Co-Morbidity
Psychiatric Comorbidity in Alcohol Dependent Outpatients in Tertiary Care Centre