Abnormal and Behavioural Psychology

Asperger's is defined as a neurobiological disorder that causes obvious deficits in social skills, such as communication problems and changes in routine. Asperger syndrome (AS) is a subtype of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that is described by significant problems in social and nonverbal communication along with limited and repetitive forms of behavior and interests. Intellectual advancement and cognitive development are preserved in AD, which helps us differentiate them from other subtypes of ASD. Since the introduction of this diagnosis and due to the improvement in diagnosis, many children have been diagnosed with asperger's, which with the release of DSMV has now become part of the autism spectrum disorder.

Background of the study: Alcoholism is the world’s 3rd largest risk factor in the burden of the family. Alcoholism affects emotionally, physically, socially and psychologically. Spouses feel difficult to manage her married life and thus developing stress. They may experience psychological problems due to their spouse who is alcoholic.

Objectives: To assess the stress among the wives of alcoholics and to determine the association between the stress and demographic variables.

Methodology: It was a non-experimental descriptive study conducted in the community area. 50 wives of alcoholics were included in the study using purposive sampling method. Structured proforma was used to collect the demographic variables and Perceived Stress Scale was used as a tool to assess the stress among the wives of alcoholics. Data analysis was done using SPSS.

Results: The results indicated that 76% of the wives of alcoholics had moderate stress, 22% had high stress and only 2% of the samples had low stress.

Conclusion: The study revealed that wives of alcoholics are suffering from moderate stress and need to provide information regarding stress management and it is very important to note that a high degree of empathetic understanding is needed to help the wives of alcoholics in better coping.