Subthreshold problem drinkers in DSM-5 alcohol use disorder classification.

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    • Subject Terms:
      PEOPLE with alcoholism; ALCOHOL drinking; ALCOHOLISM; YOUNG men; SUBSTANCE abuse; PREVENTION of alcoholism; PSYCHOLOGY of alcoholism; ALCOHOL drinking prevention; ALCOHOL-induced disorders; ALCOHOLIC intoxication; LONGITUDINAL method; CLASSIFICATION of mental disorders; RISK assessment; PREVENTION; DIAGNOSIS; PSYCHOLOGY
    • Subject Terms:
      SWITZERLAND
    • Abstract:
      Background and Objectives: The DSM-5 defined alcohol use disorder (AUD) to better cover undiagnosed subthreshold alcohol users, but few studies have investigated this topic. This study aimed to test whether subthreshold problem drinkers were a distinct subgroup of undiagnosed drinkers according to the DSM-5 AUD classification by investigating drinking patterns and longitudinal trajectories.Methods: Data were collected in the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors from young Swiss men in their early twenties (n = 4,630) at two time points. Participants responded to the 11 criteria of the DSM-5 AUD and to variables related to drinking patterns.Results: Among drinkers, 23.2% and 23.5% of the participants were subthreshold problem drinkers at baseline and follow-up, respectively. The trends showed that 29.4% of them remained subthreshold problem drinkers over time. Those who remained subthreshold problem drinkers or progressed to AUD status were likely to meet the same criterion/add a new one. Subthreshold problem drinkers showed concurrent and later drinking patterns that were in between those of symptom-free drinkers and AUD drinkers.Discussion and Conclusion: Subthreshold problem drinkers were an important subgroup of drinkers with risky drinking patterns, but they did not necessarily progress to later AUD status and did not appear to be a consistent subgroup over time.Scientific Significance: Subthreshold problem drinkers did not seem to be a subgroup of undiagnosed problem drinkers in the current DSM-5 classification. The results showed that AUD appeared to be a dimensional construct, in which one additional criterion was associated with worse alcohol-related outcomes. (Am J Addict 2016;25:408-415). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
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