title: A 10-year study of factors associated with alcohol treatment use and non-use in a U.S. population sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study seeks to identify changes in perceived barriers to alcohol treatment and predictors of treatment use between 1991-92 and 2001-02, to potentially help understand reported reductions in treatment use at this time. Social, economic, and health trends during these 10 years provide a context for the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. The data were from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES) and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). We conducted two analyses that compared the surveys on: (1) perceived treatment barriers for subjects who thought they should get help for their drinking, and (2) variables predicting past-year treatment use in an alcohol use disorder subsample using a multi-group multivariate regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first analysis, those barriers that reflected negative beliefs and fears about seeking treatment as well as perceptions about the lack of need for treatment were more prevalent in 2001-02. The second analysis showed that survey year moderated the relationship between public insurance coverage and treatment use. This relationship was not statistically significant in 1991-92 but was significant and positive in 2001-02, although the effect of this change on treatment use was small.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of alcohol treatment in the U.S. may be affected by a number of factors, such as trends in public knowledge about treatment, social pressures to reduce drinking, and changes in the public financing of treatment.
authors: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, 1000 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, VA 23284, United States; Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Richmond, VA, United States. Electronic address: kgchartier@vcu.edu.
authors: Karen G
authors: KG
authors: Chartier
authors: AIR Worldwide, 131 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA 02116, United States.
authors: Kierste
authors: K
authors: Miller
authors: University of Texas School of Public Health, Dallas Regional Campus, Dallas, 6011 Harry Hines Boulevard, Suite V8.112, TX 75390, United States.
authors: T Robert
authors: TR
authors: Harris
authors: University of Texas School of Public Health, Dallas Regional Campus, Dallas, 6011 Harry Hines Boulevard, Suite V8.112, TX 75390, United States; Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 180 Grand Avenue, Suite 1200, Oakland, CA 94612, United States.
authors: Raul
authors: R
authors: Caetano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American
keywords: Alcohol treatment utilization; National trends; Perceived barriers to treatment; Predictors of treatment use