11.07.2025

Natalia Filar from ZAND published a new article “Comorbidity and Its Diagnostic Process During the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder – A Case Study from the Polish Landscape of AUD Treatment” in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly

Abstract of the article:

A patient with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) who visits a doctor or an addiction therapy center already presents a clear and evident diagnosis from the outset: AUD. Both the subsequent diagnostic process and the patient’s treatment primarily focus on the tangible aspects and visibility of this diagnosis. However, concurrently, any undiagnosed and untreated comorbidities can significantly influence the progression of AUD. The overshadowing of other mental health symptoms may hinder the effective treatment of AUD itself. A patient with an ongoing, undiagnosed comorbidity faces a higher risk of treatment failure and relapse, which may lead them back to the institutional medical treatment pathway for AUD. This treatment pathway can confine the patient to a specific regimen, potentially obstructing the diagnostic process for comorbidities and ultimately complicating the treatment of AUD. The issue at hand is a complex interplay in which the patient engages with institutional, medical, and social practices that isolate AUD from the broader context of its comorbidities. The research was conducted using a person-centered, multi-sited ethnographic methodology alongside a qualitative case study approach.

Link to the article:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07347324.2025.2525133#abstract