U of M study tracks high-risk drinkers’ use of health and other services

A groundbreaking Manitoba research study of heavy drinkers’ interactions with the health care, social service and justice systems will be released on Monday, June 25, 2018.

The study, Health and Social Outcomes Associated with High-Risk Alcohol Use, was conducted by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) at the University of Manitoba.

Researchers conducted it by analyzing anonymous data from a 25-year period (1990-2015). They focused on the more than 53,000 Manitobans who were diagnosed with a physical disorder (such as liver damage) or a mental disorder (such as addiction) caused by high-risk alcohol use during this period.

This is the first research study in the world to track individuals from five years before their diagnosis with an alcohol use disorder to as long as 20 years after diagnosis. Their patterns of contact with government services paint a stark picture of the toll taken by untreated alcohol use disorders.

To hear about this unique study, join us at Monday’s media conference:

Who:  Lead author Dr. Nathan Nickel, assistant professor of community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
What:  Release of Health and Social Outcomes Associated with High-Risk Alcohol Use
Where: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, University of Manitoba Bannatyne Campus, 408 Brodie Centre, 727 McDermot Ave.
When: Monday, June 25, 2018, 10 a.m.