Semaglutide Shows Promise as a Potential Alcohol Use Disorder Medication

Intramural scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and collaborators from The Scripps Research Institute, found that semaglutide reduces alcohol consumption and binge-like drinking in a rodent model of alcohol misuse. Published in the June 2023 issue of the journal JCI Insight, the study … Read more

Combining Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment With Recovery Management in Primary Care Settings Improves Outcomes

Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) can be an effective method for identifying persons either at risk for or with alcohol-related problems and for connecting them to treatment. Recent data suggest, however, that while screening for alcohol misuse is common in primary care and other health care settings, patients are less likely … Read more

Webinar on Harnessing Technology and Social Media to Address Alcohol Misuse in Adolescents and Emerging Adults

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is hosting a free, interactive webinar about how to harness technology and social media to prevent and address alcohol misuse in two populations–adolescents and emergent adults. You can watch the webinar live on NIH Videocast on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at noon to 1:00 pm Eastern … Read more

Incorporating Harm Reduction Into Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery

For many years, complete abstinence from alcohol consumption was viewed as the most effective way to recover from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and was a primary outcome of AUD treatment. A large body of evidence, however, suggests that treatment and recovery strategies that reduce heavy alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences without complete abstinence can be … Read more

The Importance of Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in Closing the Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Gap

Decades of research have firmly established the importance of asking primary care patients about their alcohol use, providing brief advice about reducing alcohol misuse, and referring them to appropriate alcohol treatments, as necessary. Studies consistently find that these practices, known collectively as alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), can be used effectively … Read more

New Research Characterizes Alcohol Use Disorder Profiles To Predict Treatment Outcomes

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a heterogeneous disorder, meaning individuals with AUD differ in their clinical symptoms and in the biological and psychological factors that contribute to their disorder. A better understanding of individual differences in AUD could inform the development of tailored treatment approaches to increase treatment effectiveness. New research from the University of … Read more