Table 2.
Perceived barriers to treatment for alcohol problems by survey year
| Rank* | 1991–1992 n = 1,072 |
2001–2002 n = 1,012 |
p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predisposing | ||||
| Didn’t think anyone could help | 7 | 9.11 (1.06) | 14.15 (1.25) | .003 |
| Too embarrassed to discuss it | 4 | 11.06 (1.13) | 18.57 (1.75) | <.001 |
| Afraid of what others would think | 11 | 7.26 (0.95) | 7.82 (1.08) | .699 |
| Hated answering personal questions | 9 | 4.31 (0.70) | 10.97 (1.40) | <.001 |
| Afraid would be put into the hospital | 12 | 4.14 (0.69) | 8.90 (1.25) | .002 |
| Afraid of the treatment | 13 | 4.19 (0.64) | 8.35 (1.20) | .003 |
| Enabling/Restricting | ||||
| Couldn’t afford to pay | 6 | 11.91 (1.23) | 13.20 (1.35) | .493 |
| Didn’t know any place to go for help | 14 | 5.16 (0.75) | 7.51 (0.99) | .061 |
| Didn’t have a way to get there | 16 | 0.62 (0.20) | 3.71 (0.63) | <.001 |
| Didn’t have time | 10 | 7.30 (1.15) | 8.29 (1.16) | .543 |
| Had to wait too long | 18 | 0.64 (0.22) | 1.21 (0.39) | .211 |
| Inconvenient hours | 17 | 1.23 (0.35) | 2.75 (0.55) | .024 |
| Can’t speak English well | 21 | 00.0 (0.00) | 0.18 (0.09) | .060 |
| Couldn’t arrange child care | 20 | 0.45 (0.18) | 0.35 (0.17) | .681 |
| Family member objected | 19 | 0.60 (0.26) | 0.94 (0.31) | .417 |
| Afraid would lose job | 15 | 2.05 (0.45) | 2.79 (0.72) | .388 |
| Need | ||||
| Thought problem wasn’t serious enough | 3 | 24.64 (1.67) | 20.66 (1.49) | .081 |
| Thought the problem would get better by itself | 2 | 20.04 (1.66) | 32.90 (1.97) | <.001 |
| Thought should be strong enough to handle it alone | 1 | 29.84 (1.80) | 41.37 (1.95) | <.001 |
| Didn’t think it was necessary (despite family requests) | 8 | 4.57 (0.81) | 11.09 (1.29) | <.001 |
| Wanted to keep drinking | 5 | 12.78 (1.28) | 15.83 (1.37) | .109 |
Notes:
*
According to the rate of endorsement in the combined NLAES-NESARC sample; % Percentage (Standard Error); significant p-values after FDR adjustment are in boldface; 1991–92 = NLAES; 2001–02 = NESARC.