Characteristics of Alcohol Abuse Among Adolescents in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Abstract

Even though drug abuse can be found in every stage of human life its occurrence in adolescence seems to be the most important due to the serious consequences on personality development and quality of life. Youngsters like to experiment with risky life styles, without adequate knowledge about long-term health effects.

Alcoholism ranks high on the list of the prevailing psychiatric disorders, followed by phobias, depressive disorders and symptoms of other psychoactive substances.

As a country in transition, Bosnia &Herzegovina has all characteristics of the post-war community and post-traumatic society.

Our goal was to analyse some of psychosomatic factors among adolescents who abuse alcohol.

Data and Method: The research focused on 600 adolescents (400 in Sarajevo Canton and 200 in Tuzla Canton - in both their rural and urban parts). This group is of an equal gender and age distributions. The research tool used was Q 2000 test.

Study design is prospective, epidemiological and analytical. Results were compared within the groups, as well as the Cantons and the groups. Out of the total number of the adolescents, 15,55% of them were found to be alcohol abusers.

The results show 71, 0% of high school first-graders (age 15-17) consume alcohol; while that percentage is 29, 0 in elementary school pupils (age 12-14). A significant difference between high school students and elementary school pupils is obvious. A significant statistical gender difference between alcohol consumers and non-consumers is evident. Distribution of alcohol consumers by gender: 68,8% boys while 31, 2% girls Results shows somatic disorders exhibited by alcohol consumers: sleepiness 59,6%, body pains 34,1% and a clear difference in frequency of sleepiness between consumers and non-consumers.