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Government NewsFull Access

Overview of the NIAAA 2017-2021 Strategic Plan

Published Online:12 Jun 2017https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.6b50

Photo: Patricia Powell

NIAAA Acting Deputy Director Patricia Powell, Ph.D., says that a key theme of the new strategic plan is to support clinical studies and other research that recognize the heterogeneity of alcohol use disorder.

Goal 1: Identify Mechanisms of Alcohol Action, Alcohol-Related Pathology, and Recovery.

  • Objective 1a: Identify mechanisms underlying alcohol use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions.

  • Objective 1b: Identify genomic and nongenomic factors associated with resilience and vulnerability to alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder, and co-occurring mental health conditions.

  • Objective 1c: Identify mechanisms through which alcohol affects health and disease across the lifespan.

Goal 2: Improve Diagnosis and Tracking of Alcohol Misuse, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Alcohol-Related Consequences.

  • Objective 2a: Improve the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder.

  • Objective 2b: Develop new approaches for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, enabling early interventions.

  • Objective 2c: Develop and evaluate measures to improve the diagnosis of alcohol-related organ damage, especially alcoholic liver disease, and assess its progression.

  • Objective 2d: Track the prevalence, patterns, and trends of alcohol use, misuse, and alcohol use disorder; co-occurring conditions; and alcohol-related consequences across the lifespan.

Goal 3: Develop and Improve Strategies to Prevent Alcohol Misuse, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Alcohol-Related Consequences

  • Objective 3a: Promote universal screening and brief intervention for alcohol and other substance use.

  • Objective 3b: Develop, evaluate, and promote effective strategies for preventing alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder, and related consequences for individuals at all stages of life.

Goal 4: Develop and Improve Treatments for Alcohol Misuse, Alcohol Use Disorder, Co-Occurring Conditions, and Alcohol-Related Consequences.

  • Objective 4a: Improve existing behavioral treatments for alcohol use disorder and co-occurring conditions, and develop new behavioral treatments based on advances in neuroscience and basic behavioral research.

  • Objective 4b: Develop novel medications for treating alcohol use disorder and co-occurring conditions.

  • Objective 4c: Identify factors that facilitate or inhibit sustained recovery from alcohol use disorder.

  • Objective 4d: Advance precision medicine by evaluating which treatments for alcohol use disorder and related conditions work best for which individuals.

  • Objective 4e: Develop and evaluate interventions to treat fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, alcoholic liver disease, and other negative health outcomes caused by alcohol misuse.

  • Objective 4f: Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, affordability, and appeal of alcohol use disorder treatments and recovery models, and test strategies to increase their adoption in real-world settings.

Goal 5: Enhance the Public Health Impact of NIAAA-Supported Research.

  • Objective 5a: Improve public awareness of the effects of alcohol on health and well-being and of the options for preventing and treating alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder, and alcohol-related problems for individuals at all stages of life.

  • Objective 5b: Develop and promote tools and resources to assist health care providers, researchers, and policymakers in addressing alcohol misuse, alcohol use disorder, and other alcohol-related health consequences.

  • Objective 5c: Strengthen partnerships to extend the reach of the alcohol-related health information developed and distributed by NIAAA, and facilitate the implementation of evidence-based preventive and treatment interventions. ■