Barriers to abstinence in alcohol related liver disease.
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
- 2College of Nursing, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
- 3Department of Hepatology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Abstract
Background and objectives Alcohol-related liver disease is a major public health concern, and continued alcohol use despite medical advice remains common. This study examined factors associated with ongoing alcohol use among patients with alcohol-related liver disease attending a tertiary care centre in north India. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 3759 adult male patients (mean age 43.8 ± 19.4 y) with alcohol-related liver disease. Patients were categorised as those with recent alcohol use (within the past 60 d) and those abstinent for more than 60 d. Data on alcohol use patterns, dependence severity, motivation to change, and perception of alcohol-related harm were obtained using structured assessments like the severity of dependence scale, readiness to change questionnaire, and a structured questionnaire developed for clinical use. Results A majority of patients reported recent alcohol use. Most were long-term (n=2932, 78% >5 y) and frequently drinking alcohol (n=2905, 77.3%) drinking alcohol three or more times per week), and 57.4% (n=2158) had attempted quitting previously. Individuals with ongoing alcohol consumption had higher dependence severity compared to abstinent patients. Despite this, many current drinkers reported awareness of alcohol-related harms and the need for treatment. Motivation to reduce or stop alcohol use was reported in both groups. Interpretation and conclusions Continued alcohol use among patients with alcohol-related liver disease appears strongly associated with dependence severity rather than lack of awareness or motivation. These findings highlight the need for integrated hepatology- addiction care approaches addressing both behavioural and biological aspects of alcohol dependence.
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BibTeX
@article{varshney2026barriers,
title = {{Barriers to abstinence in alcohol related liver disease.}},
author = {Mohit Varshney and Akansha Bhardwaj and Gandhrav Dua and Jithin Thomas Parel and Shasthry S M and Shiv Kumar Sarin},
journal = {The Indian journal of medical research},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.25259/ijmr_501_2026},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42851217},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Barriers to abstinence in alcohol related liver disease.
AU - Mohit Varshney
AU - Akansha Bhardwaj
AU - Gandhrav Dua
AU - Jithin Thomas Parel
AU - Shasthry S M
AU - Shiv Kumar Sarin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - The Indian journal of medical research
DO - 10.25259/ijmr_501_2026
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42851217
AB - Background and objectives Alcohol-related liver disease is a major public health concern, and continued alcohol use despite medical advice remains common. This study examined factors associated with ongoing alcohol use among patients with alcohol-related liver disease attending a tertiary care centre in north India. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 3759 adult male patients (mean age 43.8 ± 19.4 y) with alcohol-related liver disease. Patients were categorised as those with recent alcohol use (within the past 60 d) and those abstinent for more than 60 d. Data on alcohol use patterns, dependence severity, motivation to change, and perception of alcohol-related harm were obtained using structured assessments like the severity of dependence scale, readiness to change questionnaire, and a structured questionnaire developed for clinical use. Results A majority of patients reported recent alcohol use. Most were long-term (n=2932, 78% >5 y) and frequently drinking alcohol (n=2905, 77.3%) drinking alcohol three or more times per week), and 57.4% (n=2158) had attempted quitting previously. Individuals with ongoing alcohol consumption had higher dependence severity compared to abstinent patients. Despite this, many current drinkers reported awareness of alcohol-related harms and the need for treatment. Motivation to reduce or stop alcohol use was reported in both groups. Interpretation and conclusions Continued alcohol use among patients with alcohol-related liver disease appears strongly associated with dependence severity rather than lack of awareness or motivation. These findings highlight the need for integrated hepatology- addiction care approaches addressing both behavioural and biological aspects of alcohol dependence.
SN - 0971-5916
ER -