To accomplish these aims, we used latent class analysis in a cross-sectional general population sample of people with DSM-5 AUD to identify groups (i.e. “latent classes”) of alcohol-affected individuals who had similar profiles of comorbid psychiatric disorder. Examining the relationship between perceived alcohol stigma and latent classes of psychiatric disorders, as opposed to creating researcher-specified groups of psychiatric disorders, is preferable because the latter approach assumes psychiatric disorders are entities that can be grouped definitively. We hypothesized that among people with AUD, (i) the dimensions of internalizing and externalizing psychiatric disorders would distinguish the latent classes, and (ii) classes with more internalizing comorbidity would have the highest levels of perceived alcohol stigma.
