Myths and facts about alcohol use disorder: a Delphi consensus study

Educational interventions that counter myths about alcohol use disorder with facts have the potential to reduce public stigma. Few such interventions have hitherto been rigorously developed. Using a Delphi expert consensus method, this study identified myths and facts to include in an intervention targeting the public stigma of alcohol use disorder. Sixteen UK-based experts (four academics, five clinicians and seven experts-by-experience) completed three sequential online survey rounds. The first round was used alongside a systematic review of the literature on public alcohol use disorder stereotypes to develop 13 myth-fact pairs, which participants quantitively scored in subsequent rounds to determine their importance for inclusion. Pairs reaching consensus (>70% agreement) on high importance (mean score, 7-9) challenged beliefs that alcohol use disorder 'only affects certain groups', and that people with alcohol use disorder 'cannot recover', are 'to blame' for, and 'able to control', their drinking. The myth-fact pairs scored as most important relate to responsibility- and recovery-based themes and provide a basis for future educational interventions for public alcohol use disorder stigma.