AUD may be accompanied by co-occurring psychiatric disorders (e.g., drug use disorders, major depressive and bipolar I disorders, specific phobias, and antisocial and borderline personality disorders)5 and by somatic and psychosocial problems (e.g., liver disease; pancreatitis; cancer of the head, neck, liver, colon, and rectum; accidental injuries, aggression, violence, and suicide).6,7 Worldwide, 5.9% of deaths (7.6% in men, 4.0% in women) are attributable to alcohol, with the leading causes of alcohol-associated deaths being cardiovascular disease and diabetes (33.4%), injuries (17.1%), gastrointestinal diseases (16.2%) and cancers (12.5%).7 Heavy alcohol use is also commonly associated with psychiatric disorders.8 In a cross-sectional survey of 2,979 individuals with AUD, 77% reported a moderate-to-severe psychiatric or somatic disorder. Those with both AUD and a psychiatric or somatic disorder had poorer associated health-related quality of life and lower work productivity than those with AUD only.8
