Metadehumanization in severe alcohol-use disorders: Links with fundamental needs and clinical outcomes

Abstract

Background: Dehumanization, i.e., the denial of one's humanity, has important consequences for social interactions. Earlier works mainly studied the dehumanizer's perspective, neglecting victims and particularly psychiatric populations. This study's goal is thus to investigate if patients with severe alcohol-use disorders (SAUD) feel dehumanized by others and to reveal factors linked to metadehumanization.

Methods: A cross-sectional study in 120 patients with SAUD as diagnosed by their psychiatrist using DSM-IV criteria.

Results: Participants reported significant levels of metadehumanization, which were directly or indirectly linked to fundamental needs threat (γ = 0.41, p < .001), decreased positive emotions (indirect effect = -0.11, p < .05), reduced self-esteem (indirect effect = -0.16, p < .01), reduced use of functional coping strategies focused on the search of social support (γ = -0.20, p < .05), and increased use of dysfunctional coping strategies (indirect effect = 0.15, p < .01) such as excessive alcohol use (indirect effect = 0.10, p < .05).

Conclusions: Patients feel dehumanized by others, an experience linked to important deleterious consequences for patients' wellbeing and treatment.

Keywords: Alcohol-dependence; Dehumanization; Emotions; Fundamental needs; Self-esteem.