Insight into alcohol-related problems and its associations with severity of alcohol consumption, mental health status, race, and level of acculturation in southern Taiwanese indigenous people with alcoholism

Objective: While not well known in the West, Taiwan has a substantial indigenous population, and this population has rapidly developed alcohol problems. This study examined the level of insight into alcohol-related problems and its associations with the severity of alcohol consumption, mental health status, race, and the level of acculturation among indigenous populations with alcohol problems in southern Taiwan. Methods: A total of 332 indigenes, whose total Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score was equal to 8 or higher, were interviewed. The associations between the level of insight into alcohol-related problems and the severity of alcohol drinking on the AUDIT, mental health status on the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (≥ 4 vs. < 4), race (Bunun vs. non-Bunun), and the level of acculturation on the Taiwan Aboriginal Acculturation Scale were examined using logistic regression models. Results: The results of this study found that 72.6% of the participants had poor insight into alcohol-related problems and no participant had good insight. Participants who had more severe alcohol drinking or poor mental health were more likely to have a higher level of insight into alcohol-related problems. Participants who were non-Bunun were also more likely to have a higher level of insight into alcohol-related problems, but the level of acculturation was not associated with the level of insight into alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: These findings suggest that most alcoholic indigenes in southern Taiwan have poor insight into their own alcohol-related problems. Cultural specific interventions targeting and improving the indigenes' insight into alcohol-related problems are needed.