Alcohol Dependence and Treatment Utilization in Europe

Below:  Prevalence of alcohol dependence diagnoses by GP or CIDI, stratified by age categories. Figure displaying age effect on alcohol dependence categories. Legend: (Blue bars) Diagnosis by GP, (Red bars) Diagnosis by CIDI, (Dashed line) Regression line GP diagnosis, (Continuous line) Regression line CIDI diagnosis

Alcohol dependence (AD) was prevalent among patients in European primary health care settings (8.7 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 8.1-9.3 %). Treatment rates were low (22.3 % of all AD cases, 95 % CI: 19.4-25.2 %). For both prevalence and treatment utilization, considerable country variations were observed. AD was associated with a number of socio-economic disadvantages (e.g. higher unemployment rate) and higher physical (e.g., liver disease, hypertension) and mental comorbidities (e.g., depression, anxiety). Liver problems, mental distress and daily amount of alcohol used were higher among treated versus untreated male patients with AD.

A minority of people identified as having AD received treatment, showing heavier drinking patterns and a higher level of co-morbidity. Different types of treatment, depending on severity of AD, should be considered.

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