Alcohol misuse after disasters is mostly short-term
18 February 2011
While many people misuse alcohol after experiencing disasters, few develop a new alcohol use disorder (e.g. alcohol dependence, misuse or harmful use), according to study findings published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (2011; 68: 173-80).
US researchers looked at the incidence of alcohol use disorders in nearly 700 people who had experienced disasters, including mass murders, floods, firestorms and a terrorist bombing. Ten disasters were looked at overall.
They observed survivors in the first 3 months after the disaster and 1–3 years later. A quarter of survivors had an alcohol use disorder immediately after the disaster, but only 0.3% developed an acute new alcohol use disorder.
Last Reviewed: 18 February 2011
- North CS, Ringwalt CL, Downs D, et al. Postdisaster course of alcohol use disorders in systematically studied survivors of 10 disasters. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2011; 68: 173-80. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.131. http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/68/2/173 (accessed Feb 2011).
