Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Jun;66(6):495-515.
doi: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_758_23. Epub 2024 Jun 19.

Alcohol use disorder research in India: An update

Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha  1 , Diptadhi Mukherjee  2 , Sidharth Arya  3 , Arpit Parmar  4
Affiliations
Review

Alcohol use disorder research in India: An update

Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha et al. Indian J Psychiatry. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Despite alcohol use being a risk factor for numerous health-related conditions and alcohol use disorder (AUD) recognized as a disease, there was limited research in India until 2010. This narrative review aims to evaluate AUD-related research in India from 2010 to July 2023.

Methods: A PubMed search used key terms for AUD in India after 2010. Indian and international journals with regional significance that publish alcohol-related research were searched by each author individually. These were then collated, and duplicates were removed. In addition, we also conducted a gray literature search on focused areas related to AUD.

Results: The alcohol-related research in India after 2010 focused on diverse areas associated with alcohol use. Some areas of research have received more attention than others. Two major epidemiological surveys conducted in the past decade reveal that around 5% have a problematic alcohol use pattern. Factors associated with alcohol use, like genetic, neurobiological, psychological, and sociocultural, were studied. The studies focused on the clinical profile of AUD, including their correlates, such as craving, withdrawal, alcohol-related harm, and comorbid psychiatric and medical illnesses. During this period, minimal research was conducted to understand AUD's laboratory biomarkers, course, and prognosis. While there was a focus on generating evidence for different psychological interventions for alcohol dependence in management-related research, pharmacological studies centered on anticraving agents like baclofen. Research on noninvasive brain stimulation, such as rTMS, has shown preliminary usefulness in treating alcohol dependence. Very little research has been conducted regarding alcohol policy.

Conclusion: In the past decade, Indian research on alcohol has focused on diverse areas. Epidemiological and psychological management-related research received maximum attention. Considering the magnitude of the alcohol-related burden, it is essential to prioritize research to other less studied areas like pharmacological management of alcohol dependence and alcohol policy.

Keywords: Alcohol dependence; India; alcohol use disorder; review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Tripathi BM, Sharma HK, Pelto PJ, et al. Ethnographic mapping of alcohol use and risk behaviors in Delhi. AIDS Behav. 2010;14(Suppl 1):S94–103. - PubMed
    1. Sukhwal M, Suman LN. Spirituality, religiosity and alcohol related beliefs among college students. Asian J Psychiatr. 2013;6:66–70. - PubMed
    1. Mahadevan J, Shukla L, Chand PK, et al. Innovative virtual mentoring using the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes model for primary care providers for the management of alcohol use disorders. Indian J Med Res. 2020;151:609–612. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ratnam A, Das RC, Madhusudan T, et al. Absolute Abstinence as a Treatment Outcome in Servicemen with Alcohol Dependence: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Subst Use Misuse. 2019;54:2304–2316. - PubMed
    1. Nandyal M, Chandramouleeswaran S, Braganza D. Feasibility of mobile telephonic follow-up among patients with alcohol dependence syndrome. Natl Med J India. 2019;32:77–82. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources