Alcohol use disorders and the use of treatment services among college-age young adults.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
This study examined the utilization of and the perceived need for alcohol treatment services among college-age young adults (18-22 years) according to their educational status:
full-time college students, part-time college students, noncollege students (currently in school with the highest grade level below college), and nonstudents (N=11,337). This breakdown of young adults had not been addressed previously.

METHODS:
Secondary analyses were conducted on data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

RESULTS:
Full-time college students (21%) were as likely to have an alcohol use disorder as nonstudents (19%), but were more likely than part-time college students (15%) and noncollege students (12%). Only 4% of full-time college students with an alcohol use disorder received any alcohol services in the past year. Of those with an alcohol use disorder who did not receive treatment services, only 2% of full-time college students, close to 1% of part-time college students, and approximately 3% of young adults who were not in college reported a perceived need for alcohol treatment. Full-time college students were less likely than noncollege students to receive treatment for alcohol use disorders. All young adults with an alcohol use disorder were very unlikely to perceive a need for alcohol treatment or counseling.

CONCLUSIONS:
College-age adults have a high prevalence of alcohol use disorders, yet they are very unlikely to receive alcohol treatment or early intervention services or to perceive a need for such services. Underutilization of alcohol-related services among college-age young adults deserves greater research attention.

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Author information

Author/s: Wu, Li-Tzy (LT); Pilowsky, Daniel J (DJ); Schlenger, William E (WE); Hasin, Deborah (D);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, P.O. Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715, USA. litzywu(-atsign-)yahoo.com

Grants: K05-AA-00161 (Agency:NIAAA NIH HHS) ; R21 AA013255-02 (Agency:NIAAA NIH HHS) ; R21-AA-013255 (Agency:NIAAA NIH HHS) ; R21-DA-015938 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.) (Psychiatr Serv), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 58 (issue 2) : pp 192-200

Dates: Created 2007/02/08; Completed 2007/05/02; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17287375, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Alcoholism - epidemiology; rehabilitation
Attitude to Health
Community Mental Health Services - utilization
Cross-Sectional Studies
Educational Status
Female
Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data
Health Services Needs and Demand - statistics & numerical data

Health Services Needs and Demand - statistics & numerical data
Health Surveys
Humans
Incidence
Male
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Reference Values
Socioeconomic Factors
Students - psychology; statistics & numerical data
United States

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