Alcohol Use Disorder Series from the Lancet Journals

Executive Summary

Alcohol use disorders are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and of immense importance to all mental health professionals. This new Series puts heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder in clinical and public health contexts, providing clinicians with a concise but comprehensive summary of current knowledge and future directions for research and care.

Topics include screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment; evidence-based behavioural interventions; medication-assisted treatment; and technology-based and population-level interventions.

It also covers alcohol use disorder co-occurring with mental health disorders, summarising and exploring hypotheses as to why these conditions so frequently co-exist, and outlining various possible causal pathways.