Alcohol Abuse and Domestic Violence - An Interrelationship: A Preliminary Study

Alcohol use is frequently associated with violence between intimate partners. The real link between alcohol abuse and domestic violence is difficult to establish. This study intends to examine the prevalence of domestic violence in females attending a psychiatric clinic and the role of alcohol in violence and the nature of violence. Of the 115 cases seen, 65 were married and formed the sample of this study. Domestic violence was reported in 95.6% of the cases. Of the 65 patients, 28(43.1%) had alcohol use in their spouses and in 37(56.9%) it was absent or occasional use. Majority of the women had primary school education, hailed from rural and nuclear families. Verbal abuse, neglect of wife and children, among spouses was common in spouses who were abusing alcohol and there were problems with communication, dowry related issues in spouses who had no alcohol related issues. Some implications are suggested.