Factors Influencing Moral Responsibility and Control in People Suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder - a Qualitative Study

Applying philosophical theories with a view to increasing understanding gives us a platform to discuss issues such as moral responsibility in the context of an alcohol use disorder (AUD). The present study investigates moral responsibility and control in people suffering from AUD using the theory of reasons-responsiveness (TRR). Three participants were included in this study—one woman and two men, all older than age 55. They were interviewed for approximately 60 minutes, using a semistructured format. The transcripts were analyzed utilizing a slightly modified version of interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings illustrate a set of different factors that can influence the moral responsibility and control exercised by people suffering from AUD. The authors found that notions such as habit and situational awareness were important in capturing the participants’ experiences of AUD. The participants’ statements were used as examples in discussing moral responsibility in relation to TRR. Many factors may influence the moral responsibility of a person suffering from AUD, and even though choice and self-direction can be impaired by AUD, moral responsibility may still manifest itself in different ways.