Insights into Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment

May 1, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — A new online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Alkermes, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on neuroscience, explores the experiences of individuals diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). The survey of 300 adults with AUD aimed to understand their journey to diagnosis, reasons for seeking treatment, and the perceived impact of treatment on their lives. Key findings suggest that negative consequences of drinking often drive both diagnosis and the decision to pursue treatment, with healthcare providers playing a significant role in the process. The results also highlight the positive effects of treatment, including improvements in physical and mental health, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Based on the sources provided, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is defined as a medical condition.

It is primarily characterised by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. A person living with AUD often needs to drink greater amounts of alcohol to experience its effect and experiences withdrawal symptoms after stopping alcohol use.

AUD can affect physical and mental health, and can cause problems with family, friends, and work.

It is important to note that the survey and related discussion frame AUD as a medical condition that is both diagnosable and treatable.

According to the survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Alkermes, the path to AUD diagnosis is influenced by several factors and is often prompted by negative impacts.

Factors influencing AUD diagnosis among respondents included:

Being diagnosed as a result of a hospital or emergency room (ER) visit because they were experiencing AUD symptoms or were involved in an alcohol-related incident, such as driving under the influence (DUI) or a car accident (47% of respondents).

Personal concern about alcohol use and desire to discuss it with a healthcare provider (36%).

A visit with a healthcare provider about symptoms that ended up being related to their AUD (35%).

Concerns or encouragement from a loved one to see a healthcare provider (32%).

Diagnosis as the result of a screening during a standard healthcare visit (only 28%).

The survey also revealed that motivations for seeking treatment vary. Among those who had ever been treated for AUD, their motivation included:

Negative impact of AUD on physical health (39%).

Negative impact of AUD on mental health (38%).

Advice from a healthcare provider (36%).

Advice/encouragement from family/friends (33%).

Negative impact of AUD on day-to-day life (31%).

It’s also noted that a large majority (83%) of those surveyed agreed that it is difficult to treat or manage AUD through willpower alone. Healthcare providers play a critical role in diagnosis and helping patients navigate treatment, with 80% of respondents having discussed prescription medication for AUD with a provider, and 50% of those currently using medication chose it because their provider recommended it.

Based on the sources provided, the new online survey was conducted by The Harris Poll. It was carried out on behalf of Alkermes, Inc., a subsidiary of Alkermes plc. The survey took place from August 15 – 27, 2024.

According to the survey, 33% of the respondents felt ashamed when they were initially diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

This was one of several negative feelings reported by a majority (79%) of those surveyed at the time of their diagnosis, which also included feeling scared (38%), concerned (32%), and embarrassed (32%).

Based on the sources provided, the percentage of people who sought or engaged in treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) varies depending on whether you are looking at the specific survey population or national statistics cited within the document.

Within the context of the new online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Alkermes:

The survey specifically included adults who self-identify as having been diagnosed with AUD by a healthcare provider.

Among these survey respondents, 98% indicated they had ever been treated for AUD.

This breaks down further: 70% reported currently being treated for AUD.

28% reported they had been treated in the past but were no longer receiving treatment.

Only 2% indicated that they had never been treated for AUD.

It is important to note that this survey specifically targeted individuals who had already received an AUD diagnosis.

The sources also cite national data regarding treatment rates in the broader population:

According to the U.S. 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 28 million adults ages 18 and older had AUD in the past year, but only about 2 million received treatment for alcohol use in the past year. This suggests a significantly lower percentage of the total population with AUD receives treatment nationally compared to the diagnosed individuals sampled in this specific survey.

Therefore, while 98% of the surveyed diagnosed individuals had received treatment at some point, national data indicates that a much smaller proportion of all adults with AUD receive treatment.

The online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Alkermes included 300 adults.

These individuals were between the ages of 21 and 64 and self-identified as having been diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or alcohol dependence by a healthcare provider. The raw data was not weighted, so the results are representative only of these 300 individuals who completed the survey.