Addiction journal
Addiction journal
Identifying alcohol use disorder with James MacKillop
Identifying alcohol use disorder with James MacKillop
Identifying alcohol use disorder with James MacKillop
Friday 16th May 2025
Explore the role of drinking behaviour in diagnosing alcohol use disorder with Dr James MacKillop's groundbreaking research.
21 minutes
Informative
Educational
Eye-opening
Supportive
Engaging
About this podcast
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Addiction journal
Overview:
Categories:
Navigating Alcohol Dependency
Understanding Addiction & Recovery
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Family Recovery from Addiction
Nutritional Pathways to Recovery
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Get the buttons here!Rethinking Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosis with Dr James MacKillop
Episode Overview
- Heavy drinking days can indicate alcohol use disorder.
- Objective measures of drinking could improve diagnosis.
- Community and clinical samples reveal diagnostic patterns.
- Current AUD diagnoses often exclude specific drinking behaviours.
- Potential shift from abstinence-focused treatment outcomes.
The fundamental take-home message is that drinking behaviour is indeed viable as a screening indicator for alcohol use disorder.
Imagine sitting at a dinner table, and someone asks, 'How much does a person have to drink to be considered an alcoholic?' This episode of Addiction Audio tackles this common question with a deep dive into the research conducted by Dr James MacKillop. Dr MacKillop, a clinical psychologist and professor at McMaster University, shares his findings on the diagnostic validity of drinking behaviour as an indicator of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Joined by Dr Tsen Vei Lim, the discussion explores how current AUD diagnoses often exclude specific drinking behaviours, despite their obvious relevance. Through analysing data from both community adults and inpatient clinical samples, Dr MacKillop reveals that certain drinking patterns might be more telling than previously thought. The study finds that heavy drinking days, defined as four or more for women and five or more for men, can serve as significant indicators of AUD.
Dr MacKillop’s insights suggest that incorporating objective measures of drinking into diagnostic definitions could revolutionise how AUD is identified. He argues that while abstinence has long been the focus in treatment outcomes, recognising drinking patterns could provide more nuanced approaches to recovery. The episode is not just a scientific exploration but also a call to rethink how AUD is diagnosed and treated.
With humour and clarity, Dr MacKillop and Dr Lim invite you to consider the broader implications of their findings on future research and clinical practice. Could this be the missing piece in understanding AUD? Dive into this enlightening discussion and see if it changes your perspective.