Myths and facts about alcohol use disorder: a Delphi consensus study

Educational interventions that counter myths about alcohol use disorder with facts have the potential to reduce public stigma. Few such interventions have hitherto been rigorously developed. Using a Delphi expert consensus method, this study identified myths and facts to include in an intervention targeting the public stigma of alcohol use disorder. Sixteen UK-based experts (four academics, five clinicians and seven experts-by-experience) completed three sequential online survey rounds. The first round was used alongside a systematic review of the literature on public alcohol use disorder stereotypes to develop 13 myth-fact pairs, which participants quantitively scored in subsequent rounds to determine their importance for inclusion. Pairs reaching consensus (>70% agreement) on high importance (mean score, 7-9) challenged beliefs that alcohol use disorder '<i>only affects certain groups'</i>, and that people with alcohol use disorder '<i>cannot recover'</i>, are '<i>to blame'</i> for, and '<i>able to control'</i>, their drinking. The myth-fact pairs scored as most important relate to responsibility- and recovery-based themes and provide a basis for future educational interventions for public alcohol use disorder stigma.