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The negative effects of men's excessive alcohol consumption on family members are well known. However, less is known about how men's alcohol dependence is associated with the mental health of their female spouses residing with them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) whose male spouses are undergoing treatment for alcohol dependence. We hypothesize that men with alcohol dependency, who are also violent, present a serious threat to women's mental health. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 104 women whose male partners had been admitted for inpatient treatment for alcohol dependence. Women's depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); anxiety was measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and exposure to physical and sexual IPVAW was measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted in order to analyze factors associated with depression and anxiety. The prevalence of moderate/severe depression and anxiety among the women was 34.6% and 25.2%, respectively, while almost half (48.1%) experienced IPV during the past 12 months. After adjustments for age, exposure to IPV increased the chances of experiencing moderate/severe depression by 37.5 times (95% CI 7.91-177.76), and 8.15 times for moderate/severe anxiety (95% CI 2.45-27.14). The mental health of women whose partners have alcohol dependence is significantly threatened and should be considered, especially when it is associated with exposure to spousal violence.

Introduction/Objective. We aimed to investigate the lifetime and periodic prevalence (during a year) and characteristics of violence against women and health status of women whose partners have been treated for alcohol dependence. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among women whose male partners were alcoholdependent and admitted to hospital for the inpatient treatment. Exposure to physical and sexual violence was measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2). Mental health status was measured by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), suicidal risk (using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview or MINI scale), and alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical methods. We also constructed two logistic regression models to study associations between violence and socioeconomic status, and violence and health-related variables. Results. The lifetime prevalence of physical violence committed by alcohol-dependent partners against women was 65.4%, while the periodic prevalence (during 12 months prior to the study) was 46.2% for physical, 20.2% for sexual, and 18% for both types of violence. No women were in risk of harmful alcohol consumption. Violence was more frequent against women not living in urban areas [odds ratio (OR) 2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08?5.94, in the univariate model], and among women with moderate/ severe depression (OR 12.34, 95% CI 2.26?67.33, in the multivariate model). Conclusion. Alcohol-dependent men are very often violent toward their spouses, and inpatient treatment presents an opportunity to work with them on raising awareness on the unacceptability of violence against women.

Violence against women is a major problem around the world. There is approximately one in four chance that women will experience intimate partner violence. The consequences of intimate partner violence may be various: immediate and direct (injury or death), direct and long term (chronic illness and disability), indirect (self-perceived health and health activities), or all three. Depression and post - traumatic stress disorder are the most common mental-health consequence of intimate partner violence. Alcohol consumption presents a significant factor in the development of intimate partner violence. Alcohol use, especially heavy drinking, is one of the individual factors. The aim of this paper is to establish a link between the alcohol consumption and occurrences of intimate partner violence and a portrait of health consequences of intimate partner violence on women. Furthermore, it is meant for the clinicians who deal with alcohol addicts since the treatment program should include the recognition and monitoring of health consequences women suffered by their partners.

Background: Data suggest cystatin C (CysC) levels and hepatic artery resistive index (HARI) correspond to the progression of chronic liver disease. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of these parameters in assessment of fibrosis in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: The cross-sectional study included 63 patients with liver cirrhosis. A control group consisted of 30 age- and gender-matched healthy persons. Results: We confirmed significantly higher values of CysC in patients with cirrhosis compared to control group (p = 0.036). Average value of HARI in the examined group was increased (0.72 ± 0.06) and there was the statistically significant difference compared to controls (0.66 ± 0.03) (p < 0.001). We found statistically significant correlation between HARI and CysC in the study group. Analyzing the possibility of distinguishing healthy subjects from patients with fibrosis, we have found that the area under the curve is far greater in the HARI index than CysC. Comparison of CysC among Child–Pugh stages and correlation with a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score showed statistically significant results. Conclusion: We confirmed HARI is a more accurate parameter than CysC in discriminating healthy subjects from patients with fibrosis, while CysC could be a better indicator of the stage of liver cirrhosis.