Intersection of Race and Ethnicity With Social Determinants of Health in Access to Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder in 2023.

Publication date: Aug 06, 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated health disparities and increased alcohol use and its health consequences. Although prepandemic research identified racial and ethnic disparities in receipt of alcohol use disorder treatment, few studies have described postpandemic disparities or have assessed the role social determinants of health (SDOHs) may play in these inequities. The authors examined how rates of treatment for alcohol use disorder differ by race and ethnicity, SDOHs, and at the intersection of both. In this cross-sectional analysis, the authors used a nationally representative sample of 5,785 U. S. adults with past-year alcohol use disorder from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the probability of any past-year alcohol use disorder treatment overall, by the intersection of race and ethnicity with 20 SDOH subcategories, and across treatment settings. Only 9. 6% of adults with alcohol use disorder in the NSDUH received any treatment in 2023. Compared with other racial and ethnic groups, non-Hispanic Black or African American adults had the lowest probability of receiving treatment for alcohol use disorder overall and in the stratified analyses of nine of 20 SDOH subcategories. These findings highlight significant disparities in the receipt of treatment for alcohol use disorder among non-Hispanic Black or African American adults, generally concentrated within the more vulnerable SDOH categories. These results underscore a critical need for clinically and culturally nuanced policies and practices tailored to specific populations with health disparities.

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