Toward a Phenomenological Assessment of Values in Alcohol Misuse.

INTRODUCTION

Alcohol misuse emerges from a complex range of psychopathological experiences and personal and cultural values. For this reason, understanding the reasons why a person seeks treatment is crucial to effective care. This study aimed to identify the values which guide the decision-making process of persons seeking voluntary hospitalization for treatment for alcohol misuse, as well as the values of significant others.

METHODS

A phenomenological investigation was conducted through interviews with 25 individuals (and family members) who had voluntarily admitted themselves to a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, with the objective of maintaining abstinence from alcohol dependence.

RESULTS

The main factors that determined the treatment-seeking decision were damage to social relationships and fear of illness and deterioration of the physical condition; the factors related to treatment expectations were restoring personality and awareness of morbidity; and the single factor considered most important to the success of the treatment was willpower.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study contribute to developing strategies for bringing care closer to the patient's perspective of the disease and encourage their active participation in the formulation of care.