Prevalence and Severity of Depression among Spouses of Individuals with and without Alcohol Dependence Syndrome: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Alcohol dependence is a major public health concern, as its consequences not only affect individuals with this problem, but also their families, particularly spouses, due to the intimate nature of the marital relationship. Spouses of individuals with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) usually experience financial strain, marital discord, emotional distress, and stigma, which, over a period when accumulated and not addressed on time, increase their vulnerability to depression. Depression in this context is frequently underrecognised, despite its association with suicidal ideation, impaired coping, decreased marital satisfaction and in the long run, when encapsulated, results in impaired overall Quality of Life. Aim: To assess the prevalence and severity of depression among spouses of individuals with ADS, in comparison with Healthy Controls (HC). Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional comparative study was carried out in the De-addiction Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Sri Ramachandra Hospital, Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from June 2023 to December 2024. The sample consisted of 400 participants, which included 200 spouses of individuals with ADS and 200 spouses of individuals without ADS. Standardised tools like Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to screen for depression, and those who screened positive were referred to Clinician Psychiatrist to confirm the diagnosis of depression. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of depression among spouses of individuals with ADS was 69.5%, compared to 36.5% among spouses in the control group. Both the severity and prevalence of depression were higher among spouses of individuals with ADS and the results were statistically significant with a p-value (p<0.001). Conclusion: The study showed that depression was nearly twice as common among the spouses with ADS group, and moderate to severe levels were markedly higher. These findings indicate a substantial mental-health burden among spouses of individuals with ADS. Integrating spouses into relapse prevention interventions may improve treatment outcomes given their crucial role in De-addiction management.