Recognizing and seeking help for drinking problems. A study in the Boston metropolitan area.

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Abstract
Interviews about their past and current drinking practices and problems were conducted with 5320 adults in a Boston area probability sample. Of the 5320 respondents, 506 (10%) indicated (based on their own definitions) that they had had a drinking problem in the past but did not have one at the time of the interview. An additional 94 (2%) reported that they had a current drinking problem. Based on responses on measures of drinking practices and the impact of drinking on their lives, an additional 321 (6%) respondents were identified as having drinking practices and experiencing consequences of drinking similar to those of respondents acknowledging a drinking problem. Significant differences were found between respondents reporting a drinking problem and those with similar characteristics not reporting a drinking problem on employment status (P < 0.02) and whether respondents had children (P < 0.05); those reporting a problem also indicated lower levels of satisfaction in 7 life areas. Of the 94 respondents who reported having a drinking problem at the time of interview, 15% were involved in organized or professional help for the problem at that time. An additional 30% had received treatment in the past. Of the 506 respondents who indicated that they had had a drinking problem in the past, 15% had obtained some sort of formal help for the problem. Of the total of 600 respondents who reported having had a drinking problem at some time in their lives, 20% had received treatment. Even among the 309 respondents who rated their drinking problems as serious or very serious, only 29% had sought help. Among those with current drinking problems, those who had sought treatment were remarkably similar to those who had not on all but 3 social and demographic characteristics (age, P < 0.05; religious affiliation, P < 0.001; and education, P < 0.05). Those who had sought treatment drank less than those who had not. Similarities on most measures were also noted between help-seekers and non-help-seekers among those who had had drinking problems at some point in their lives, the only significant differences being on employment (P < 0.01) and marital status (P < 0.05). Further research is called for to explain why only a small percentage of persons who recognize that they have drinking problems seek and obtain formal help.

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