Data from a recently conducted study shows that about 9% of adults in America who work full-time may suffer from alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a condition characterized by an impaired ability to control or stop the use of alcohol, despite adverse consequences in an individual’s health, work life or social life.
The survey, which involved more than 110,000 adults in the United States, was carried out by researchers from the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Their objective was to determine the relationship between missing work and the heavy use of alcohol. The survey’s findings were reported in the “JAMA Network Open” journal.
For their research, the scientists analyzed data gathered from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2015 and 2019. This survey, which asks people above 12 years of age about their use of various drugs as well as alcohol, is carried out every year by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Alcohol use disorder is usually diagnosed by asking a number of questions, including whether a person has tried to quit drinking but couldn’t, whether they’ve continued drinking even after having memory blackouts and whether they’ve spent a significant amount of time sick from drinking.
The researchers found that the individuals who didn’t meet the diagnosis criteria for this disorder missed roughly 13 workdays a year while those who suffered from mild alcohol use disorder missed about 18 days. On the other hand, individuals with moderate alcohol use disorder reported missing almost 24 days while those with severe alcohol use disorder missed 32 workdays annually. In total, the researchers estimate that workers living with alcohol use disorder missed more than 232 million days of work each year.
Laura J. Bierut, the senior investigator of the study, stated that alcohol use disorder was a major issue in many workplaces across the country, contributing to a considerable number of missed days of work. Bierut explained that this problem had been exacerbated by the pandemic, noting that more needed to be done to make sure that individuals with alcohol use disorder could receive the help they needed.
The researchers also found that alcohol use disorder was more common among individuals with lower incomes, those who identified as Hispanic or white, younger people and men. It should be noted that the analysis only included full-time workers as it was conducted during the pandemic, when most people were working remotely.
The huge toll that alcohol use disorder is taking on American society calls for urgent action to be taken to make better treatments for this condition available to patients. One line that is being explored by companies such as Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) involves studying psychedelic compounds with a view to developing formulations that will address alcohol use disorder from its root rather than ameliorating its symptoms.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN
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