'Significant gap' between need for alcohol treatment and services available

'The drinking patterns of 14.8% of the population in Ireland — 578,000 people, show evidence of an alcohol use disorder, and 90,000 of these would have a severe problem.'

There is a “significant gap” between the need for alcohol treatment and the low level of services available, according to Alcohol Action Ireland.

The advocacy group said more than 500,000 people in Ireland were estimated to be drinking in a hazardous or harmful way and that 90,000 of these had a “severe problem”.

But AAI said little over 3,300 people entered alcohol treatment in 2020.

Publishing new research, the group said it was now clear that “everyone” accessing alcohol treatment services had experienced major trauma in their lives — ranging from domestic violence, abuse, parental substance abuse, bereavement, or poverty.

The research follows a separate study published by the Health Research Board which showed that more than a third of young people aged 15-24 had an alcohol use disorder — meaning they drank in a “hazardous or harmful” way.

Dr Sheila Gilheany, chief executive of AAI said: “The drinking patterns of 14.8% of the population in Ireland — 578,000 people, show evidence of an alcohol use disorder, and 90,000 of these would have a severe problem.

However, alcohol treatment data for 2020 shows there were only 3,319 new presentations gaining access to alcohol treatment services, so there is a significant gap between treatment needs and provision.” 

She said given the scale of the problem, alcohol treatment was not getting the resources required for a problem that “causes so much harm not only to the individual, but to families and communities”.

While both men and women who use drugs and alcohol experience stigma, it is more severe for females, preventing many women from accessing treatment.

Author of the new research, Professor Jo-Hanna Ivers, Assistant Professor in Addiction, School of Medicine, Trinity College, said that while both men and women who use drugs and alcohol experience stigma, it is more severe for females.

“The experience is gendered due to drug and alcohol dependence challenging social and cultural expectations of women as nurturers, mothers, daughters, sisters, and caregivers,” she said.

Women with a drug or alcohol dependence disorder report significantly higher levels of stigma than men.” 

She said this fear of stigmatising experiences was one of the most reported factors hindering women from accessing substance use treatment.

Prof Ivers worked with Ballyfermot Star drug project in Dublin on the research, which was also supported by the Tallaght and Ballyfermot drug and alcohol taskforces.

Speaking at a webinar on the research, Amy Roche, chief executive of Finglas Addiction Support Team, said: “In order to effectively treat people for problem alcohol use, we need more appropriate funding supports and resources to build integrated care pathways to meet the often complex needs of the people presenting and their families.” 

She said treatment and recovery is not a linear model and that “no one size fits all”.

In a statement, AAI said: “The research now is clear that everyone accessing treatment services has experienced significant trauma at some point in their lives. Such issues include domestic violence, abuse, parental problem substance use, poverty and bereavement/ loss.

“Services must be equipped to respond to these needs in a timely and holistic manner. If they can’t, people will not be able to recover fully and the likelihood of relapse is higher.”