Internet-based programmes can help problem drinkers
Today’s blog comes courtesy of The Lifestyle Elf. If you’re interested in healthy lifestyle research on diet, exercise, smoking, drinking and other public health issues, you can follow my cousin on...
View ArticlePrescriptions for alcohol dependency increase once more, but attitudes to...
The NHS Information Centre have published their annual series of reports about alcohol use and misuse. The reports cover a range of issues including drinking habits and behaviours among adults (aged...
View ArticleHow is alcohol misuse affecting the children of parents who drink?
We don’t have accurate statistics on the numbers of children living with alcohol misusing parents. It’s estimated that 79,000 babies in England are living with a parent who is classified as a...
View ArticleGovernment publish response to the Health Select Committee inquiry on the...
The Government has published its response to the House of Commons Health Select Committee inquiry on the Government’s Alcohol Strategy. The Committee gave a positive welcome overall to the Government’s...
View ArticleNew NICE briefings on inequalities and population health, the Public Health...
NICE have published three new public health briefings for local government on Inequalities and population health, the Public Health Outcomes Framework and Alcohol. These documents are aimed at local...
View ArticleNew QIPP case studies from NICE
If you work in the NHS, public health or social care, you’ve probably heard of QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention), but have you heard of the QIPP collection? It’s a website run by...
View ArticleNICE publish new evidence summary on harmful drinking and alcohol dependence
NICE have published a new evidence summary (PDF) on the problems associated with alcohol misuse, which augments the clinical guideline (PDF) that came out 2 years ago. This is a fast moving area, so...
View ArticleTailored primary care intervention for heavy drinking may be counterproductive
Approximately 15% of adults in Europe drink alcohol to excess, at levels that are likely to affect their health. Most of these people are not alcohol dependent and do not require intensive treatment...
View ArticleCost-effectiveness of internet-based interventions for harmful drinking
The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers harmful drinking as the third largest contributor to the Global Burden of Disease, an index of disability, poor health and mortality. The majority of...
View ArticleA fine VINTAGE? The benefits and consequences of alcohol consumption in older...
We know a lot about the health consequences of drinking too much alcohol, but most of this research comes from studies of adults in their twenties, thirties and forties. But what about older adults?...
View ArticleTreatment of excessive alcohol use in people with psychotic disorders:...
The literature on the efficacy of psychological treatments for excessive drinking is vast, but investigations into effectiveness of these treatments in individuals with other clinical diagnoses are...
View ArticleConcurrent treatments may be effective in treating comorbid alcohol...
In those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol abuse or dependence is the most common co-morbid disorder. Unfortunately, although individuals with PTSD and alcohol dependence (AD) often...
View ArticleMixed effectiveness of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol...
Alcohol is responsible for approximately 2.5 million deaths worldwide every year, making it the third largest cause of preventable death after tobacco and obesity. The economic burden to the UK has...
View ArticleIs gabapentin a promising drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence?
Alcohol misuse is responsible for about 4% of all deaths annually, and in the UK it costs the NHS more than £3 billion per year. A number of medications are currently licensed for the treatment of...
View ArticlePsychiatric illnesses and some chronic physical illnesses are associated with...
Last month, the Department of Health published the ‘Closing the Gap’ report, which highlighted the importance of better integration of physical and mental health care at every level. The report...
View ArticleCBT and motivational interviewing are effective treatments for comorbid...
Alcohol use disorder is frequently comorbid with major depressive disorder, and the disease burden associated with this dual diagnosis is considerably greater than that attributed to each disorder in...
View ArticleNew evidence update from NICE on the prevention of problem drinking
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently published an evidence update focussed on preventing harmful drinking. This update builds upon previous recommendations (NICE...
View ArticleTargeted mindfulness-based relapse prevention may support long-term outcomes...
Approximately 10.6% of individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) in the US seek treatment, with 40-60% relapsing within a year (Dept of Health and Human Services, 2008; McLellan et al, 2000). This...
View ArticleShould we be prescribing medication to help people with alcohol use disorders?
Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are common, chronic conditions which cause substantial harm to the individual and society. They are associated with substantial morbidity (Schuckit, 2009) and responsible...
View ArticleAcamprosate and oral naltrexone may improve consumption related outcomes for...
A new systematic review suggests that, when used alongside psychosocial interventions, medication can result in better alcohol consumption outcomes for people with drinking problems. The post...
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