Recovery from alcohol among urban Alaska Native and American Indian people

Abstract

Alaska Native and American Indian (ANAI) people experience dramatic alcohol-related health disparities compared to the general US population. Although the majority of ANAI people reside in urban settings (>70%), data are sparse on alcohol abstinence among urban ANAI people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). We conducted a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of 20 urban ANAI adults recovering from AUD. Participants’ narratives had their own unique dimensions but shared a clear, interrelated trajectory of pre-alcohol recovery, a turning point, and ongoing alcohol recovery. All participants reported a combination of external and internal motivation to stop using alcohol.

Keywords:

• Alaska Native
• alcohol use disorder
• American Indian
• recovery

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants and staff members who participated in this study, the tribal leaders for supporting our research, and Recover Alaska for assisting with recruitment efforts.

Disclosure Statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P60AA026112. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.