In 2020, some 958 cases were admitted to psychiatric facilities with an alcohol disorder, of whom 382 were treated for the first time. Figure 1 presents the rates of first admission between 2000 and 2020 for cases with a diagnosis of an alcohol disorder. The admission rate in 2020 was higher than the previous year, although trends over time indicate an overall decline in first admissions. Approximately one-third (33.3%) of cases hospitalised for an alcohol disorder in 2020 stayed just under 1 week, while 32.7% of cases were hospitalised for between 1 and 3 months, similar to previous years.

The Covid-19 pandemic impeded the delivery of addiction support services to this high-risk group as existing healthcare models were dramatically altered or abolished. The impact of the pandemic negatively affected addiction recovery, with adverse health outcomes and drug-related mortality seen to increase, in turn impacting the wellbeing of practitioners already under pressure.¹ A 2022 study explored the impact that the pandemic had on the wellbeing of Irish healthcare professionals supporting clients with addiction.²

In 2017, the per capita alcohol consumption in Ireland equated to every Irish adult (aged 15 years and over) drinking 13.9 litres of alcohol, considerably higher than the 6.5 litres globally.¹ Alcohol-related harms are associated with this level of alcohol consumption, with the period from 1995 to 2013 seeing an 82% increase in alcohol-related hospital admissions in Ireland.^2,3 Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is caused by damage to the liver from excessive drinking over a prolonged period, and treatment involves alcohol abstinence, managing complications of liver failure, and/or liver transplantation. ALD is a major cause of both liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of primary liver cancer.