People with disabilities who have alcohol problems need more treatment and recovery options

One in four Americans live with a disability, which is associated with stigma and disparities in health care. New research examined differences in alcohol use by disability status and types of disability, and found a need for a range of accommodations in alcohol treatment and recovery services – including technology-based options. These results and others will be shared at the 46^th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Bellevue, Washington.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines disability as any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities and interact with the world around them,” explained Sharon Reif, a professor at Brandeis University. “While certain types of disability – cognitive, hearing, mobility, vision, self-care, and independent living – can clearly impact functioning, some are more ‘invisible,’ such as brain injuries or intellectual disabilities, because others may not realize someone has them.”

Reif will discuss her research in more depth at the RSA meeting on Tuesday 27 Ju“Our analyses of several household surveys found that the prevalence of past-month alcohol use and binge drinking was highest for people with cognitive disabilities and lowest for people with self-care and independent living disabilities,” said Reif. “While people with disabilities may drink less than people without disabilities – perhaps related to medication contraindication or limited alcohol access – many people with disabilities do drink, and increased binge drinking among drinkers who have disabilities is a concern that merits screening, intervention, and treatment/recovery supports.”

People with disabilities face a number of barriers in reaching alcohol treatment and recovery services, added Reif. “The most obvious barriers are the lack of necessary accommodations, including physical access such as ramps, accessible exam rooms and bathrooms, and communications barriers such as materials available in Braille or made accessible for people with cognitive disabilities, and sign language translators,” she said.

Fortunately, technology-based options may increase participation by people with disabilities in alcohol treatment and recovery services. “Online peer-support groups and recovery apps are currently available,” said Reif. “These have the benefit of 24/7 access – often asynchronous so people can participate at their own speed – a capacity for alternative communications such as screen readers, and reduced stigma given virtual engagement. Telehealth can also reduce burdens due to physical accessibility or transportation, and may reduce some communications challenges.” Reif added that one positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic was learning about telehealth’s benefits and challenges.

“We must reduce ableism and resulting disparities, and better support people with disabilities who have alcohol or drug problems as they move towards recovery from addiction,” said Reif. “Providers must do a better job engaging with people with disabilities. Further, a range of systems – education, licensing, insurance, healthcare, policy – could [support] people at this important intersection of disability and alcohol and drug problems. We need to consider the bigger picture of our systems and services.”

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Reif will present these findings, “The intersection of disability and alcohol: disparities and the potential value of technology,”during the RSA 2023 meeting in Bellevue, Washington on Tuesday, 27 June 2022. More information can be found at RSoA on Twitter @RSAposts. The author can also be reached on Twitter @SharonReifPhd.