We evaluated two hypotheses to advance knowledge regarding etiological and clinical perspectives on the interplay of alcohol stigma and psychiatric disorders among people with DSM-5 AUD. With cross-sectional data of a large, nationally representative survey of the United States general population, we found that past-year psychiatric comorbidity among people with AUD appeared to be distinguished by the classifications of internalizing and externalizing disorders. Consistent with our first hypothesis, there was evidence for four classes, including: (1) a high comorbidity class reflecting internalizing (i.e. mood and anxiety disorders) and externalizing (i.e. antisocial personality and drug use disorders) comorbidity; (2) a class with predominantly externalizing comorbidity; (3) a class with predominantly internalizing comorbidity; and finally (4) a class that appeared unaffected by comorbidity.
