Abstract
Background: Recent guidelines recommend improved treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD), yet little is known about the factors associated with alcohol use treatment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been linked to stronger alcoholic cravings.
Objective: This study examines the use of treatments among US adults with AUD and assesses the factors associated with their use.
Methods: We used 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data for the study. Alcohol use disorder was identified using diagnostic criteria based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, employment status, health insurance type, family income, residential area, receipt of mental health care, and illicit drug use disorder were compared descriptively between treated and untreated adults with AUD. Multinomial logistic regression modeling was applied to examine associations of these factors with different treatments and no treatments.
Results: The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health files included 47,291 adults (55.8% female). The past-year prevalence of AUD among US adults was 11.4% in 2021. In 2021, 3.7% of adults with AUD received non-medication treatment, and 0.9% received medication treatment. Male adults receiving mental health care and those engaged in illicit drug use were more likely to receive treatment for AUD. Age and education level were also significant factors. Living in a non-metropolitan area was more likely associated with non-medication treatment. We found no evidence of treatment disparities by race/ethnicity, employment status, family income, or health insurance type.
Conclusions: Effective medication and non-medication-based treatments for AUD are consistently underutilized despite several recent guideline recommendations that encourage treatments.