Health Utility of Drinkers' Family Members
2022
Problematic alcohol use is known to harm individuals surrounding the drinker. This study described the health utility of people who reported having a family member(s) whom they perceived as a “problem drinker.”
Using a US population dataset, and adjusting for other drinking-related factors, perceiving a family member as a problem drinker was associated with lower health utility on the order of 0.033 (P < 0.001) for a spouse/partner to 0.023 (P < 0.001) for a grandparent, sibling, aunt, or uncle, which came close to the utility decrement for having a drinking disorder oneself (0.039 ; P < 0.001).
The investigators conclude that perceived problem drinking within one’s family is associated with statistically significant losses in health utility, the magnitude of which is dependent on relationship type. Family-oriented approaches to AUD interventions may therefore confer outsize benefits, especially if focused on the spouse or partner. Economic evaluation of alcohol misuse could be made more accurate through the inclusion of family spillover effects.
Health Utility of Drinkers' Family Members
Source:
Thornburg B, Bray JW, Wittenberg E. Health Utility of Drinkers’ Family Members: A Secondary Analysis of a US Population Data Set. MDM Policy & Practice 2022; 7 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/23814683221128507