1 in 3 Adults Knows Someone Who May Be Struggling With Addiction, APA Poll Finds

More than 70% of American adults said they would know how to get help for their friend or family member who was struggling with an addiction, and 53% said they would reach out to a doctor for help, according to the latest findings from APA ’s Healthy Minds Monthly Poll. The majority of those surveyed also said that if their loved one was dealing with addiction, they would initiate a conversation with them about addiction.“It’s promising … that Americans show such openness to talking with loved ones who may have substance use disorders or behavioral addictions,” APA President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., said in anews release. The survey suggests that Americans are familiar with various methods of recovery, he continued.The poll was conducted online by Morning Consult from August 12 to 13 among 2,201 adults. It had a margin of error of ±2 percentage points percentage points. Addiction was defined as a state of psychological or physical dependence (or both) on the use of alcohol or other drugs. The survey also noted that the term addiction sometimes applies to behavioral disorders, such as sexual, internet, or gambling addictions.Thirty-six percent of respondents said they know someone who struggles with addiction. Further, adults aged 18 to 34 were twice as likely as adults aged 65 or older to say they know someone struggling with addiction (44% vs. 22%). Additional findings include the following:If a loved one was struggling with addiction, 73% of respondents said ...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: addiction Alcoholics Anonymous APA poll conversation getting help Morning Consult recovery treatment Source Type: research