Internalized Stigma, Self-Esteem, Loneliness, and Suicide Probability in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder in Remission

Objective: It was aimed to investigate internalized stigma, self-esteem, suicide probability, and loneliness in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) in remission. Methods: Fifty patients diagnosed with AUD according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and 50 healthy volunteers were included in the study. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSS), and University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) were administered to all participants. In addition, Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMIS) was applied to the AUD group. Results: UCLA-LS scores were found to be significantly higher in the AUD group than the control group (p=0.014). RSS scores were found to be significantly lower in the AUD group compared to the control group (p=0.019). The SPS total score and all subscale scores were similar in the AUD group and healthy controls (for all; p>0.05). In the AUD group, as ISMIS scores increased, SPS scores and UCLA-LS scores increased (respectively; p=0.022, p=0.003), while as UCLA-LS scores increased, SPS scores increased and RSS scores decreased (respectively; p=0.005, p=0.001). In the regression analysis, loneliness predicts the probability of suicide in AUD patients. Conclusion: It can be said that even if AUD patients are in remission, they have lower self-esteem and higher levels of loneliness, and the probability of suicide is not different from healthy controls. In addition, it can be said that as internalized stigma increases in AUD patients, the level of loneliness and the possibility of suicide increase.