Hardiness, Self-esteem and Learned Helplessness in Relation to Alcohol Use

Alcoholism/Drug abuse is widely recognized as a serious problem the world over with severe psychological, social, and physical consequences. Hence the problem of alcoholism and drug abuse is not unique either to India or to present times but is a chronic menace (Sachene, 1990).

The healthcare system is greatly affected by alcoholism. In India, 10% of adults entering private physician's clinics are alcoholics and 15-40% of adult admissions to general hospitals are for alcohol-related problems(W.H.A. Report, 2002). One fact that comes to the forefront while analyzing the whole scenario that is what makes certain drinkers strictly remain, social drinkers, while others further deteriorate to drinking as a habit and become addicts/dependents.

Alcohol abuse affects not only the individual users but also their families and the general community. The harm can be physical, psychological, and/or social in nature.

Literature has confirmed the importance of personality traits as factors related to alcohol use and misuse. Hardiness is a relatively newer area in the realm of personality and can provide useful insights when it is examined in relation to the different levels of alcohol abuse. Thus, we have taken hardiness as a variable in relation to alcohol use for the present study.