Identifying the gap between need and intervention for alcohol use disorders in Europe

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Research
• European Health Systems

Background:

• Europe exhibits high alcohol consumption rates and associated global-leading disabilities.
• Existing research on alcohol interventions is primarily concentrated on screening and brief interventions.
• Methodologies for alcohol needs assessment exist but lack cross-European comparative application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in Europe.
• To assess the availability of alcohol interventions across European nations.
• To identify the gap between the need for and provision of alcohol interventions in Europe.

Main Methods:

• Literature review encompassing descriptive studies of alcohol intervention systems.
• Analysis of studies on alcohol service provision in Europe.
• Inclusion of research on AUD prevalence and needs assessment in Europe.

Main Results:

• Significant disparities in alcohol treatment systems across European countries are evident.
• Comparative data on the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is lacking.
• The gap between the need for and access to alcohol interventions remains poorly quantified.

Conclusions:

• Key knowledge gaps persist regarding alcohol interventions in Europe.
• There is a critical need for comparative data on AUD prevalence and treatment system variations.
• The AMPHORA project's 'Early identification and treatment' work package aims to address these identified research gaps.