This presentation will discuss a public health framework for understanding and responding to persons with alcohol dependence and other alcohol-related problems. With this in mind, the presentation will review recent research on the prevalence of alcohol dependence and alcohol-related problems in the general population. It will also examine the individual's drinking and degree of risk, giving special emphasis to individual-level epidemiological data on the effects of drinking on liver function, cancer, heart disease, violence, suicide, family life and alcohol dependence itself. The concepts reviewed can be used in disease surveillance as indicators of the prevalence and incidence of alcohol problems and in the assessment of individual and group-level risk for alcohol dependence. The concepts should also be useful in the identification of high-risk groups in the population, in the development of screening tests for early identification, in the planning of treatment services for alcohol problems, and in the development and implementation of preventive interventions.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants in this session will be able to articulate a public health approach to alcohol dependence by identifying the main elements of the approach. Participants will also gain knowledge about the prevalence of alcohol dependence in the US population and about the main risk factors for alcohol dependence.
Keywords: Public Health Research, Alcohol Problems
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.