Could medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide become a new tool in treating Alcohol Use Disorder?
In this episode, Dr. Adam Scioli discusses the emerging science behind GLP-1 receptor agonists, their potential impact on alcohol cravings and reward pathways, and what early research and clinical experience may mean for the future of addiction treatment. He also shares insights from Caron Treatment Centers’ innovative approach to integrating GLP-1 therapy into comprehensive recovery care.
Guest: Dr. Adam D. Scioli, Chief Medical Officer and Program Director, Caron/Tower Addiction Medicine Fellowship, D.O., DFAPA, FASAM, FAOAAM, Pennsylvania, Florida
Hosts: Danae DiRocco, MD, MPH, AAAP Membership Committee Chair, and Chun Tong, MD, Addiction Psychiatrist, Livewell Counseling Center, Christian Health NJ
Resources:
Mason T. Breitzig, et al. Prevalence of GLP-1 receptor agonist use among privately insured individuals with mood disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Published June 1, 2026. doi: doi.org/10.4088/JCP.26br16352
Among more than 27 million privately insured adults in the MarketScan database, 9.4% had a mood disorder diagnosis (88% major depressive disorder/12% bipolar disorder). Adults with a mood disorder were younger, more likely to be female, more likely to be obese, and more likely to have type 2 diabetes.
Among adults with mood disorders, GLP-1RA prescription fills increased from 1.5% in 2018 to 7.2% 2023. Prescription fills for metformin remained stable during this period, at about 6%.
Psychiatrists accounted for just 6% of prescriptions for GLP-1RAs, with little change from 2018 to 2023. Family practitioners and nurse practitioners prescribed the most, with the share of the latter increasing 25-fold since 2018.
“Although anecdotally practitioners often report a significant reduction in craving and use of alcohol, substances, and tobacco with the prescription of GLP-1 RAs, it remains aspirational as to whether these agents are definitively effective in the treatment or prevention of any psychiatric disorder,” according to the author of a related commentary. “In the interim, evidence-based prescription of GLP-1 RAs in persons with [serious mental illness or substance use disorders] holds promise to improve their health and well-being and possibly reduce the excess mortality, which is a strategic imperative in psychiatry.”