As postulated by the modified labelling theory, people attempt to avoid a stigma (e.g. via closure or social withdrawal) [8]. In many modern societies, people labelled as ‘alcoholics’ are regarded as being responsible for their situation, unpredictable and dangerous [9]. Research has repeatedly shown that people with AUDs experience stigmatization (by the public as well as from health professionals) more severely than people with other mental disorders [10, 9]. A high perceived stigma in persons diagnosed with an AUD has been shown to reduce the probability of using health care services [11–13] and thereby contributes to a decreased likelihood of treatment seeking.
