National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Invites Input on 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Outline

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is currently developing a FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan to highlight priorities and guide activities for advancing the Institute’s mission over the next five years. NIAAA is pleased to announce the release of a Request for Information inviting comments on the draft outline. We are accepting comments until July … Read more

COVID-19 means long stretch of stormy weather for people with alcohol and substance use disorders

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created an environment that is particularly problematic for individuals with alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUD), according to physician scientists at the National Institutes of Health.  In a commentary now online in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers liken the global coronavirus emergency to a “perfect storm,” with dire … Read more

SBIRT Has Broad Impact on Adolescent Health

Over the last two decades, numerous research studies have firmly established the effectiveness of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in pediatric practices for alcohol and other substances in reducing underage drinking and its harmful consequences. More recently, investigators have hypothesized that SBIRT might have broader effects on adolescent health. Alcohol and other … Read more

Alcohol Rehabilitation Can Reduce Hospital Readmission, Relapse, and Mortality in Patients with Alcoholic Hepatitis

Early alcohol rehabilitation can reduce the risk of hospital readmission, alcohol relapse, and mortality among patients hospitalized for alcoholic hepatitis (AH), according to a recent National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) supported study. AH is a potentially life-threatening alcohol-associated liver disease; many patients who are hospitalized with severe cases of AH die within … Read more

Integrated stepped alcohol treatment for people in HIV care improves both HIV and alcohol outcomes

New clinical research supported by the National Institutes of Health shows that increasing the intensity of treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) over time improves alcohol-related outcomes among people with HIV. This stepped approach to AUD treatment also improves HIV-related disease measures in this patient population.  A report of the new study, led by researchers … Read more

Bringing Alcohol Treatment Into the Mainstream

Nearly 15 million people in the United States have alcohol use disorder (AUD), but in any given year, less than 10 percent of them receive treatment. And even those who receive treatment may not receive the type of care that best fits their needs and improves their chances of a successful recovery. Research shows that … Read more