Alcohol Consumption, Dependence, and Treatment Barriers: Perceptions Among Nontreatment Seekers with Alcohol Dependence

Abstract

Suffering from alcohol dependence, as well as realizing the need for, and entering treatment, were associated with shame and stigma, and were strong barriers to treatment. Other barriers included the desire to deal with alcohol problems on one's own and the view that seeking treatment required total abstinence. Negative health-effects were mainly a nonissue. The participants' knowledge about treatment options was limited to lifelong abstinence, medication with Disulfiram and residential treatment. These were seen as unappealing and contrasted sharply with preferred treatment. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: Public health literacy regarding alcohol use, dependence, and treatment ought to be improved in order to lower barriers to treatment. Treatment services need to better match the needs and wishes of potential service users, as well as taking stigmatization into account. In order to develop suitable treatments, and to reach the majority who do not seek treatment, the clinical understanding of alcohol dependence needs to be expanded to include mild to moderate dependence.

A 10-year study of factors associated with alcohol treatment use and non-use in a U.S. population sample

“…This increase could be linked to higher rates of major depression for this subsample in 2001–02 versus 1991–92 (20 and 12%, respectively); Schomerus et al (2011) reported a positive relationship between depressive symptoms and self-stigma in alcoholics. Stigmatization has consistently been linked to treatment usage (Keyes et al, 2010; Wallhed-Finn et al, 2014). Keyes et al (2010) examined perceived stigmatization of alcoholism in adults with AUD from the 2004–05 NESARC.…”

El alcoholismo y su abordaje desde una perspectiva ciudadana

“…The widespread perception in our study of alcoholism as an illness is not reflected in greater access to treatment. An alternative explanation is that while the majority of patients see that treatment for alcoholism is only focused on abstinence, this is not an objective that 45.7% initially set for themselves (Adamson, Heather, Morton, & Raistrick, 2010;Heather, Adamson, Raistrick, & Slegg, 2010); some studies suggest that this is one of the principal barriers to treatment (Wallhed Finn, Bakshi, & Andreasson, 2014).…”

Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland

“…Sudden alcohol withdrawal is dangerous for dependent drinkers, in the most serious cases causing seizures. At the last estimate for Scotland, only one in four alcohol dependent drinkers was accessing alcohol services (Beeston et al, 2014), andWallhed-Finn, Bakshi, andAndreasson (2014) reported that a minority of those with alcohol dependence seek and undergo treatment. All participants in our study have received treatment relating to their drinking at least once (their recruitment site), but there are likely many more (whose numbers we do not know) who have not engaged with services, or received support.…”