Missing Opportunities in the Screening of Alcohol Use and Problematic Use, and the Provision of Brief Advice and Treatment Information Among Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to identify sociodemographic and substance-related factors associated with being screened, receiving advice or treatment information from healthcare providers, among individuals who met the criteria for the past 12-month alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods The 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data were analyzed to identify factors associated with being (1) asked about alcohol used among adults with AUD, who visited a healthcare provider within the past 12 months, and were not receiving AUD treatment (sample 1, n = 13,321); (2) asked about problematic use; (3) advised to reduce consumption; and (4) offered alcohol treatment information, among those in sample 1 who were asked about their use (n = 6,905). Results About half (52.9%) in sample 1 were asked about their alcohol use. Among them, 21.6% were asked about problematic use, 17.7% were advised to reduce alcohol consumption, and 7.6% were offered information. The odds of being asked about alcohol use among male participants were 0.72 times the odds of female participants; however once asked, male participants showed greater odds of being asked about problematic use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29–1.82), advised to reduce consumption (aOR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.24–2.16), and offered treatment information (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.34–2.35). As compared with non-Hispanic White participants, other racial/ethnic groups were less likely to be asked about alcohol use; however, once asked, no differences were observed for other outcomes. Conclusions Significant gaps in the screening and provision of advice or treatment information were identified, particularly for racial/ethnic and sex subgroups. Reducing barriers for effective screening could help address AUD-related disparities.