Alcoholics’ characteristics in Saudi Arabia

الملخص EN

The object of this study is to look closely at the characteristics of Saudi alcoholics with regard to their levels of alcohol consumption.

The study identified the subjects by a designed questionnaire and testing their level of alcohol by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

The study surveys the alcohol patients at Al-Amal hospital using its tools in order to answer the two questions ; a) what are the main characteristics of an alcoholic, and b) what are their levels of alcohol consumption.

This study concludes that all participants were ranked with high levels of alcoholism measured.

This sample of alcoholics are likely to drink alcohol in a hazardous alcohol-use manner, smoke more than a packet of cigarettes a day, drink a great deal of coffee daily, have a high frequency of relapses indicated by high number of hospital admissions, and carry a strong belief in that craving is a factor of relapse.

The study draws some recommendations for future research, policy makers, and alcohol treatment.

The research ends by providing a theoretical framework for social work support.