It can be experienced on a continuum from very mild to extremely severe , and people directly affected by ARBD are typically male , socially isolated , living in deprived areas and 50 to 60 years old – although younger people are increasingly being identified . A growing body of evidence suggests that women may develop ARBD following a less severe alcohol consumption history , placing younger women at increased risk compared with their male counterparts .

The term ‘ brain damage ’

itself may suggest to many of us non-medical people that it ’ s an irreversible , degenerative condition , but a large proportion of patients may recover to some degree with abstinence and appropriate rehabilitative support . Yet existing services consistently fail to meet the needs of people with ARBD , leaving many comparatively young people requiring long-term supported living arrangements for a potentially reversible condition . Stigma plays a key role in why this happens .

COMPLEX BARRIERS Sadly , people who live with ARBD and their families and carers experience a wide range of complex stigma-related barriers to effective care . For the Anti-Stigma Network then , this is clearly an important area of focus . Furthermore , it seems ARBD is much more prevalent

than we might currently understand . The intersecting and overlapping stigma experienced by people who live with ARBD can have a particularly severe , and additive , impact on their quality of life , access to services and , ultimately , recovery . For a condition that often goes unrecognised or undiagnosed , determining prevalence is a challenge but a number of international studies indicate a population range of 0.015 per cent in Australia to 0.14 per cent in some areas of Scotland . Prevalence as high as 21 per cent , however , has been reported among the homeless populations of Glasgow . To put this into context , a recent study in France suggests that 38.9 per cent of early-onset dementia cases were in fact alcoholrelated . When applied to the UK population of those living with young-onset dementia , this may

be as many as 27,000 people . This of course does not include the large population living with alcohol-related cognitive impairment who are not detected because they are not engaged with standard memory services , for example .

AWARENESS The Addictions Research Group at the University of South Wales is seeking to improve its understanding of ARBD – from patient engagement , outcomes , service delivery and innovation perspectives . The first step the group has taken towards this is the development of an educational , and awareness raising , training package for healthcare profess ionals ( available at : https :// www . southwales . ac . uk / businessservices / professional-development / short-courses / alcohol-relatedbrain-damage-arbd /).

Jeffrey Blackler / Alamy

24 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • MAY 2024

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