Perceived helpfulness of treatment for alcohol use disorders: Findings from the World Mental Health Surveys. (1st December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Degenhardt, Louisa; Bharat, Chrianna; Chiu, Wai Tat; Harris, Meredith G.; Kazdin, Alan E.; Vigo, Daniel V.; Sampson, Nancy A.; Alonso, Jordi; Andrade, Laura Helena; Bruffaerts, Ronny; Bunting, Brendan; Cardoso, Graça; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Florescu, Silvia; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Hu, Chiyi; Karam, Aimee N.; Karam, Elie G.; Kovess-Masfety, Viviane; Lee, Sing; Makanjuola, Victor; McGrath, John J.; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; Moskalewicz, Jacek; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando; Posada-Villa, José; Rapsey, Charlene; Stagnaro, Juan Carlos; Tachimori, Hisateru; ten Have, Margreet; Torres, Yolanda; Williams, David R.; Zarkov, Zahari; Kessler, Ronald C.; Al-Hamzawi, Ali; Al-Kaisy, Mohammed Salih; Alonso, Jordi; Altwaijri, Yasmin A.; Andrade, Laura Helena; Atwoli, Lukoye; Benjet, Corina; Borges, Guilherme; Bromet, Evelyn J.; Bruffaerts, Ronny; Bunting, Brendan; Caldas-de-Almeida, Jose Miguel; Cardoso, Graça; Chatterji, Somnath; Cia, Alfredo H.; Degenhardt, Louisa; Demyttenaere, Koen; Florescu, Silvia; Giovanni de Girolamo, ; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Harris, Meredith G.; Hinkov, Hristo; Hu, Chi-yi; Peter de Jonge, ; Karam, Aimee Nasser; Karam, Elie G.; Karam, Georges; Kawakami, Norito; Kessler, Ronald C.; Kiejna, Andrzej; Kovess-Masfety, Viviane; Lee, Sing; Lepine, Jean-Pierre; McGrath, John J.; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; Mneimneh, Zeina; Moskalewicz, Jacek; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando; Piazza, Marina; Posada-Villa, Jose; Scott, Kate M.; Slade, Tim; Stagnaro, Juan Carlos; Stein, Dan J.; Margreet ten Have, ; Torres, Yolanda; Viana, Maria Carmen; Vigo, Daniel V.; Whiteford, Harvey; Williams, David R.; Wojtyniak, Bogdan;
• Is Part Of: Drug and alcohol dependence. Volume 229:Part B(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-12-01
• Subjects: Alcohol use disorder -- Treatment -- Epidemiology; Drug abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109158
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0376-8716

Abstract

Abstract: Aim: We examined prevalence and factors associated with receiving perceived helpful alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment, and persistence in help-seeking after earlier unhelpful treatment. Methods: Data came from 27 community epidemiologic surveys of adults in 24 countries using the World Health Organization World Mental Health surveys (n = 93, 843). Participants with a lifetime history of treated AUD were asked if they ever received helpful AUD treatment, and how many professionals they had talked to up to and including the first time they received helpful treatment (or how many ever, if they had not received helpful treatment). Results: 11.8% of respondents with lifetime AUD reported ever obtaining treatment (n = 9378); of these, 44% reported that treatment was helpful. The probability of obtaining helpful treatment from the first professional seen was 21.8%; the conditional probability of subsequent professionals being helpful after earlier unhelpful treatment tended to decrease as more professionals were seen. The cumulative probability of receiving helpful treatment at least once increased from 21.8% after the first professional to 79.7% after the seventh professional seen, following earlier unhelpful treatment. However, the cumulative probability of persisting with up to seven professionals in the face of prior treatments being unhelpful was only 13.2%. Conclusion: Fewer than half of people with AUDs who sought treatment found treatment helpful; the most important factor was persistence in seeking further treatment if a previous professional had not helped. Future research should examine how to increase the likelihood that AUD treatment is found to be helpful on any given contact. Highlights: Examined receipt of helpful AUD treatment in adult community surveys in 24 countries 11.8% of respondents with lifetime AUD reported ever obtaining AUD treatment 44% ever obtaining treatment reported that it was helpful Probability of obtaining helpful treatment from the 1st professional seen was 21.8% 79.7% could receive helpful treatment if persevering to see seven professionals