To the Editor: Alcohol and other drug (AOD)-related harms are considerable,1 yet individuals with AOD disorders are reluctant to seek treatment.2,3 Barriers to help-seeking include issues of stigma and a lack of understanding of what treatment involves. One possible approach to improving access is the use of online tools that provide advice about available help options. While online screening for alcohol has shown value as a complement to AOD-related treatment in a Swedish sample, limited work has been conducted examining such utility for AOD-related problems within an Australian context.4
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- 1. Rehm J, Taylor B, Room R. Global burden of disease from alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco. Drug Alcohol Rev 2006; 25: 503-513.
- 2. Mojtabai R, Crum RM. Perceived unmet need for alcohol and drug use treatments and future use of services: results from a longitudinal study. Drug Alcohol Depend 2013; 127: 59-64.
- 3. Reavley NJ, Cvetkovski S, Jorm AF, Lubman DI. Help-seeking for substance use, anxiety and affective disorders among young people: results from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2010; 44: 729-735.
- 4. Sinadinovic K, Berman AH, Hasson D, Wennberg P. Internet-based assessment and self-monitoring of problematic alcohol and drug use. Addict Behav 2010; 35: 464-470.
- 5. Kessler RC, Andrews G, Colpe L, et al. Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychol Med 2002; 32: 959-976.
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