Perceived barriers to seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders among the general Danish population – a cross sectional study on the role of severity of alcohol use and gender

Abstract

Background A minority of all individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD) seek treatment. Since the suffering from AUD has severe consequences for both the individual and for society, it is important to improve the understanding of barriers to seeking treatment. Most studies of barriers thus far have been conducted in the United States of America or the United Kingdom. There is a need for studies from other contexts. The overall aim is to investigate barriers to treatment seeking for AUD. The specific aims are to: 1) describe barriers to AUD treatment at different levels of alcohol use. 2) compare gender differences regarding barriers to AUD treatment. Methods Study design: Cross-sectional. Participants: 1594 representative Danish adults from the general population aged 30–65 years. An online questionnaire was administrated by a market research company. The questionnaire covered demographic data, barriers to treatment and level of alcohol use. Analyses were performed by means of chi-2 test and logistic regression. Results The most common barriers were related to stigma and shame: admitting to others of having a problem, being labelled, fear of the consequences and that others would find out. Participants with higher severity of alcohol use were more likely to endorse a wish to handle alcohol problems themselves and to report barriers related to treatment services. Women with high severity of alcohol use, endorsed higher level of fear of the consequences than men. Conclusions There is an urgent need to reduce stigma around AUD. Individuals with higher severity of alcohol use report a lower willingness to seek professional treatment if a problem occurs. Especially among individuals with high severity of alcohol use there is a need to address gender specific barriers.

Revolutionising alcohol use disorder treatment in developing countries: integrating artificial intelligence and technology-driven approaches

“…The conventional treatment methods that follow a one-size-fits-all approach primarily centred on psychiatric models often disregard the multidimensional nature of AUD, characterised by the scarcity of resources and infrastructure ( 2 , 3 ). The diverse cultural and socio-economic context of each region magnifies the intensity of this problem by resisting the in-person treatment-seeking behaviour of individuals with AUD, including inadequate support systems like community support groups, long-term psycho-social support, and family involvement in treatment and management ( 4 , 5 ). This situation calls for a paradigm shift towards integrating more sophisticated, technology-driven methodologies, particularly AI and ML, which can offer holistic, adaptable, personalised, and culturally appropriate treatment approaches to accommodate the distinct requisites of individuals with AUD.…”