Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder: Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment

According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 29 million people 12 years and older had Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). AUD is a chronic disease with significant medical, psychological and social consequences.  Each year more than 178,000 deaths are attributed to excessive alcohol intake. Psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and suicide co-occur more often than not. Mental health clinicians are in a unique position to identify those who are at risk or have excessive drinking behaviors and offer them evidence-based treatments. This live 1.5-hour training will review screening and assessment tools for AUD, patient engagement and harm reduction approaches, and behavioral therapies and medication treatments for AUD.