Alcohol use disorder, or AUD, is the medical diagnosis for problem drinking that causes mild to severe distress or harm. A new study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, reports that nearly one-third of adults in the United States have an AUD at some time in their lives, but only about 20 percent seek AUD treatment. The study also reveals a significant increase in AUDs over the last decade. The new findings are reported online yesterday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

“These findings underscore that alcohol problems are deeply entrenched and significantly under-treated in our society,” said NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D. “The new data should provide further impetus for scientists, clinicians, and policy makers to bring AUD treatment into the mainstream of medical practice.”

Read the entire NIH news release HERE