What, Exactly, is Alcohol Use Disorder?
AUD affects 15 million Americans, with men nearly 2 times more vulnerable to the disease vs women. Are you tracking signs and symptoms in your patients?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism urges primary care clinicians to be particularly alert for signs of increased alcohol use or deterioration in known problem drinking or alcohol use disorder (AUD) among their patients. The protracted stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased availability of alcohol are both factors contributing to increased drinking. In one recent survey, 60% of participants reported consuming more alcohol and consuming alcohol more frequently than they did before the pandemic, attributing the behavior change, in part, to both conditions.
What, exactly, is AUD? In this slide show, find the 11 questions from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V that serve as criteria for a diagnosis--and think about your patients as you read through.
