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Problem drinking and alcoholism: diagnosis and treatment
Mary-Anne Enoch1, David Goldman
1Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-8110, USA. maenoch@niaaa.nih.gov
American Family Physician
|February 23, 2002
Summary
Alcoholism, a common psychiatric disorder, is often overlooked in healthcare settings. Early screening and brief interventions by primary care physicians can effectively manage problem drinking, a precursor to alcohol addiction.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Alcoholism affects 8-14% of the population and is frequently comorbid with other substance use, anxiety, mood, and personality disorders.
- Despite significant morbidity and mortality, alcoholism often remains undiagnosed in clinical and primary care settings.
- Problem drinking, a precursor to alcoholism, is treatable with brief interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the prevalence and underdiagnosis of alcoholism.
- To emphasize the importance of screening for problem drinking and alcoholism.
- To discuss treatment options and the need for integrated screening.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on alcoholism prevalence, comorbidities, and diagnosis.
- Discussion of available screening instruments for problem drinking.
- Overview of treatment modalities, including psychosocial methods and pharmacotherapies.
Main Results:
- Alcoholism is a heritable, chronic, relapsing disease with serious health implications.
- Brief screening instruments can identify problem drinking effectively.
- Primary care physicians can successfully treat problem drinking with brief interventions.
Conclusions:
- Alcoholism frequently goes unrecognized, necessitating routine screening in healthcare.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for managing problem drinking and alcoholism.
- Screening should be integrated into routine health questionnaires for all age groups, especially women of childbearing age, due to fetal alcohol syndrome risks.