Attempts to reduce alcohol intake and treatment needs among people with probable alcohol dependence in England: a general population survey

AIMS: To compare the proportion of people in England with probable alcohol dependence (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT] score ≥ 20) with those with other drinking patterns (categorized by AUDIT scores) in terms of motivation to reduce drinking and use of alcohol support resources. DESIGN: A combination of random probability and simple quota sampling to conduct monthly cross-sectional household computer-assisted interviews between March 2014 and August 2017. SETTING: The general population in all 9 regions of England. PARTICIPANTS: Participants in the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS), a monthly household survey of alcohol consumption among people aged 16 years and over in England (n = 69,826). The mean age was 47 years (SD = 18.78; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 46.8-47) and 51% (n = 35,560) were female. MEASUREMENTS: Chi-Square tests were used to investigate associations with demographic variables, motivation to quit drinking, attempts to quit drinking, GP engagement and types of support accessed in the last 12 months across AUDIT risk zones. FINDINGS: A total of 0.6% were classified as people with probable alcohol dependence (95% CI = 0.5-0.7). Motivation to quit (X2=1692.27, p