Alcohol use disorders and the use of treatment services among college-age young adults.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the utilization of and the perceived need for alcohol treatment services among college-age young adults (18-22 years) according to their educational status: full-time college students, part-time college students, noncollege students (currently in school with the highest grade level below college), and nonstudents (N=11,337). This breakdown of young adults had not been addressed previously.


METHODS
Secondary analyses were conducted on data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.


RESULTS
Full-time college students (21%) were as likely to have an alcohol use disorder as nonstudents (19%), but were more likely than part-time college students (15%) and noncollege students (12%). Only 4% of full-time college students with an alcohol use disorder received any alcohol services in the past year. Of those with an alcohol use disorder who did not receive treatment services, only 2% of full-time college students, close to 1% of part-time college students, and approximately 3% of young adults who were not in college reported a perceived need for alcohol treatment. Full-time college students were less likely than noncollege students to receive treatment for alcohol use disorders. All young adults with an alcohol use disorder were very unlikely to perceive a need for alcohol treatment or counseling.


CONCLUSIONS
College-age adults have a high prevalence of alcohol use disorders, yet they are very unlikely to receive alcohol treatment or early intervention services or to perceive a need for such services. Underutilization of alcohol-related services among college-age young adults deserves greater research attention.
Wu
Li-Tzy
LT
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, P.O. Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715, USA. litzywu@yahoo.com
Pilowsky
Daniel J
DJ
Schlenger
William E
WE
Hasin
Deborah
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States