PO3-3Abuse of alcohol by adolescent girls

Abstract

The problem of alcohol abuse among adolescent girls continues to be relevant and deserves a more detailed study of its social, biological and psychological correlations. The aim of our study was to analyze the characteristics of alcohol abuse among adolescent females with behavioral disabilities in order to develop a methodology for identification of persons of this contingent and activities for early prevention. The design of the study was an open randomized comparative study with parallel groups. Criteria for inclusion in the main group: adolescent females with “Behavioral Disorder”, 12‐17 y. o, alcohol abuse by ICD‐10. Also we used Leonard Personality Inventory (LPI), School Anxiety Questionnaire by Beeman N. Phillips, Buss‐Durkey Inventory, EPI (Eysenck Personality Inventory), T3 and T4 hormone levels determination. Results: in adolescent girls with alcohol addictive behavior, the astheno‐neurotic and schizoid types of personal accentuation prevail; emancipation and femininity can be considered as factors for increased risk of alcohol addictive behavior. Adolescent girls with alcohol addictive behavior have higher levels of all types of school anxiety. In the group of adolescent girls with alcohol addictive behavior, the proportion of subjects with levels of hormones T3 and T4 is lower than the normative ones (T3 [1.2 ‐ 2.8 nmol/l]; T4 [60‐ 160 nmol/l]); levels of T4 below the normative ones is a risk factor for alcohol addictive behavior in adolescent girls. Among adolescent girls with alcohol addictive behavior, there are higher levels of verbal and indirect aggression, negativism, inclination to irritation, suspicion, resentment, auto‐aggression, indices of hostility and aggression. Adolescent girls with risk for alcohol addiction can be characterized by: a tendency to deny generally accepted norms, values, patterns of behavior; non‐conformist attitudes and inclinations to contrast their own norms and values with group norms; propensity to illusory‐compensatory way of solving personal problems; orientation on the sensual side of life, the presence of “sensory thirst”; hedonistically oriented norms and values; presence of delinquent tendencies; low level of social control. Using our results a scale has been developed with signs that determine the risk of alcohol abuse and its harmful effects in adolescent girls.