In a recent conceptual proposal, McLellan et al45 note that while individuals with mild-to-moderate SUDs are currently not a high-priority population for treatment efforts, they represent “one reasonable starting point” for defining a state similar to prediabetes, indexing accumulating risk for progression to severe SUD diagnosis, and thus merit heightened vigilance and intervention. While the proposed concept has drawn criticism regarding potentially stigmatizing terminology,46,47,48 the importance of improving treatment efforts for all presentations of AUD cannot be overstated.6 In the current study, despite heightened risk, only 27.6% of the high-risk mild-to-moderate AUD group endorsed seeking professional help or engaging in treatment, which, although significantly more than rates endorsed by individuals in the low-risk mild-to-moderate AUD group, is far from ideal.
