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Objectives: Determining the factors affecting alcohol dependents' process of psychotherapy is important in determining the course of the therapeutic process to be followed and evaluating the factors specific to individuals. Methods: Research was performed with the assistance of 63 alcohol-dependent patients who received individual psychotherapy. Data was collected with the Introductory Information Form and Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Sociotrophy-Autonomy Inventory, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, State Trait Anger Expression Scale, and Problem Solving Scale to evaluate the process of psychotherapy with cognitive behavioral treatment approaches. Results: The study found that 73% of patients dropped out before reaching treatment goals. In the six-month follow-up period, 57.1% of patients had no lapses; 20.6% lapsed once, 17.5% twice, and 4.8% lapsed three times. Statistically significant differences were found in anger-in, internal-external locus of control, thinking approach, and estimator approach between patients who dropped out of the study and those who did not. There were significant differences in patients' anger control in situations of lapse. Conclusion: The factors affect'ng the process of psychotherapy of alcohol dependents include: anger control, internal-external locus of control, and thinking and estimator approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The major biological factor to determine alcohol use is Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT). GGT level in blood increases during chronic alcohol use. This is related to increase in the production of GGT and/or the leakage of GGT after liver destruction due to chronic alcohol use. In this study, sociodemographic characteristics and laboratory tests in alcohol dependent patients with increased GGT levels (≥150 U/L) were investigated. Method: A total of 104 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence were enrolled for study. After the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients determined, life-time severity of alcohol dependence was measured by Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MATT). Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine amine transferase (ALT), aspartate amine transferase (AST), mean corpuscular volume (ME'V), total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and uric acid levels in blood were measured at starvation. The patients were divided into two groups in the basis of their GGT levels as those with more than and those with less than 150 mg/dl. For statistical analyses, chi-square and t-student tests were applied. Results: 85 male (%81.7) and 19 female (%18.3) patients were included in the study. Their mean age was 43.84 (sd= 9.42). The rates of those with increased and decreased GGT levels were found to be %30.7 (n=32) and %69.3 (n=72), respectively. The mean age of those with increased GGT levels was also high (42.41 sd=8.62, 47.00 sd=10.42). In these groups, the mean values and statistical results based on their clinical characteristics were found as ; MATT (25.63 ss=4.20; 18.97 ss=3.57 t=8.30 p<0.01), period for alcohol use annually (28.22 ss=9.22; 19.17 ss=9.56; t=4.41 p<0.01), period for having problems annually (mean=13.06 ss=6.38; mean=8.97 ss=4.67 t=4.35 p<0.01)), daily alcohol consumption in quantity (mean=14.69 ss=4.56; mean=11.58 ss=5.08 p<0.01). On the other hand, the mean values and statistical results based on biological determinants were fond as; AST (78.19 ss=49.18; 34.34 ss=25.18 t=0.01 p<0.01); ALT (71.88 ss=54.82; 29.47 16.27 t=6.03 p<0.01); MCV (101.97 ss=2.36, 91.75 ss=2.53 t=l 9.40 p<0.01 ); total cholesterol (230.91 ss=94.21; 182.42 ss=40.23 t=3.69 p<0.01 ). For all of these variables, the statistical differences were significant. Conclusion: It was understood that the severity of alcohol dependence was effective on blood GGT level. For this reason, MATF may be used to estimate biological damages caused by alcohol use. In addition, AST, ALT, MCV and total cholesterol levels may also be used for the same purpose because these increase concurrently with GGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dependence is considered as a disease which necessitates the treatment of all the family members. In this study, the wives of male alcohol dependent patients were evaluated by a ‘Group Attidute Scale’ and their participation in the progression of the treatment was discussed. Most of the wives answered as ‘yes’ the question which mentioned about ‘cooperation in a group’ and the other questions asking for the similar meaning. In this cross-sectional preliminary study, it was shown that ‘group supporting’ was important among the wives of the male alcohol dependent patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the studies done on neuropsychological functions in alcohol dependence, especially memory and executive functions were shown to be disturbed. However, the question of whether such disturbances were present before the development of alcohol dependence or whether they should be considered as complications of alcohol use has not been answered yet. In order to find an answer to this question, attention and memory functions of alcohol-dependent male patients were assessed and their relationships with alcohol consumption were investigated in the present study. No significant relationships were found between Stroop subscores, Cancellation Test, Block Design Scores, immediate memory, long term memory, highest learning, and recognition scores of AVLT. However, a positive and statistically significant correlation was found between AVLT and time to stereotypical alcohol consumption. Correlations between length of duration of addictive drinking and and time to stereotypical alcohol consumption were determined. Stroop subscores, Cancellation Test efficiency scores, Block Design and AVLT scores (except immediate memory subscore) were not found to be statistically significant. It can be suggested that not all of the components of neuropsychological functions can be related to the direct effects of alcohol. Further studies are needed to define possible effects of neuropsychological functions in the development of alcohol dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]