Abstract:Purpose of Review
Individuals living in rural areas face unique challenges when accessing services for alcohol-related problems and are at increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related harms. We outline research on rural-urban treatment gaps in alcohol use treatment, identify common barriers to treatment, and provide recommendations for how to address the difficulties faced by this population.
Recent Findings
Globally, individuals living in rural and remote areas are l… Show more
“…Alcohol use disorder treatment levels are poor for both urban and rural areas. People living in urban regions are more likely to obtain care for issues related to alcohol than people in rural and isolated locations [33 ▪▪ ]. Rural populations may encounter increased stigma when seeking therapy for issues related to alcohol as they have less access to specialized physicians [33 ▪▪ ].…”
Section: Treatment Hospitalizations and Mortalitymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…People living in urban regions are more likely to obtain care for issues related to alcohol than people in rural and isolated locations [33 ▪▪ ]. Rural populations may encounter increased stigma when seeking therapy for issues related to alcohol as they have less access to specialized physicians [33 ▪▪ ]. Urban and rural areas receive vastly different levels of treatment for alcohol use disorders, particularly when it comes to evidence-based care.…”
Section: Treatment Hospitalizations and Mortalitymentioning
Purpose of reviewThis review aimed to gather recent studies that could identify the specificities in the relationship between urbanization and alcohol use epidemiology in the current century.Recent findingsAlthough we find lower rates of alcohol use among adolescents in urban environments than in rural ones, this difference tends to diminish until it disappears by the time they reach adulthood. In addition to excessive marketing and increased accessibility, several urban environment characteristics have been related to alcohol use. First, problematic alcohol use is linked to stress and mental health problems like depression and anxiety, which are common in metropolitan areas. Second, alcohol use behaviors are influenced by homelessness, loneliness, and deprivation in megacities, where female and male individuals have presented more similar alcohol use behaviors (i.e. gender convergence). Third, treatment levels for alcohol use disorders are very low.SummaryThere is a new epidemiological wave of alcohol consumption in large urban centers, largely influenced by advertisement and marketing. Social and psychological risk factors and subpopulations of interest were identified for preventive interventions in large urban centers (i.e. advertisement regulation). In addition, increasing the availability of treatment, including specific medications for alcohol use disorder, should be strongly encouraged.
“…Alcohol use disorder treatment levels are poor for both urban and rural areas. People living in urban regions are more likely to obtain care for issues related to alcohol than people in rural and isolated locations [33 ▪▪ ]. Rural populations may encounter increased stigma when seeking therapy for issues related to alcohol as they have less access to specialized physicians [33 ▪▪ ].…”
Section: Treatment Hospitalizations and Mortalitymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…People living in urban regions are more likely to obtain care for issues related to alcohol than people in rural and isolated locations [33 ▪▪ ]. Rural populations may encounter increased stigma when seeking therapy for issues related to alcohol as they have less access to specialized physicians [33 ▪▪ ]. Urban and rural areas receive vastly different levels of treatment for alcohol use disorders, particularly when it comes to evidence-based care.…”
Section: Treatment Hospitalizations and Mortalitymentioning
Purpose of reviewThis review aimed to gather recent studies that could identify the specificities in the relationship between urbanization and alcohol use epidemiology in the current century.Recent findingsAlthough we find lower rates of alcohol use among adolescents in urban environments than in rural ones, this difference tends to diminish until it disappears by the time they reach adulthood. In addition to excessive marketing and increased accessibility, several urban environment characteristics have been related to alcohol use. First, problematic alcohol use is linked to stress and mental health problems like depression and anxiety, which are common in metropolitan areas. Second, alcohol use behaviors are influenced by homelessness, loneliness, and deprivation in megacities, where female and male individuals have presented more similar alcohol use behaviors (i.e. gender convergence). Third, treatment levels for alcohol use disorders are very low.SummaryThere is a new epidemiological wave of alcohol consumption in large urban centers, largely influenced by advertisement and marketing. Social and psychological risk factors and subpopulations of interest were identified for preventive interventions in large urban centers (i.e. advertisement regulation). In addition, increasing the availability of treatment, including specific medications for alcohol use disorder, should be strongly encouraged.
“…At-risk alcohol use in adults is undertreated in healthcare settings ( Sacks et al, 2015 , Stahre et al, 2014 ). In particular, rural populations experience increasing disparities in alcohol-related harms, including alcohol-related mortality ( Friesen et al, 2022 , Spencer et al, 2020 ), and are less likely to receive alcohol-related care ( Ali et al, 2022 , Davis and O’Neill, 2022 ). Compared to urban centers, alcohol-related care in rural areas is less affordable ( Pringle et al, 2006 ), of lower quality ( Edmond et al, 2015 ), and less accessible ( Cyr et al, 2019 , Small et al, 2010 ), with very few early interventions tailored to meet the specific needs of people in rural areas.…”
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.