Hungarian Women and Alcohol Use: A Systematic Review

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Hungary has one of the highest rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and mortality from liver cirrhosis in the world. While the field of addiction research has assessed the impact of AUD in Hungary, researchers have predominately assessed AUD in Hungarian men. Furthermore, the literature demonstrates a correlation between AUD and intergenerational trauma yet there is a dearth in research assessing the relationship between AUD and intergenerational trauma in Hungarians. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the relationship between Hungarian women and alcohol use and the impact of intergenerational trauma on Hungarian women’s alcohol use. There were 526 articles initially identified; 17 articles were assessed for full-text review, and 10 were excluded due to lack of rigor or falling outside of the scope. The remaining seven articles demonstrated moderate evidence that Hungarian women consume less alcohol than Hungarian men. Furthermore, the studies showed that women with co-occurring mental health disorders may experience higher rates of AUD. While a history of trauma may correlate with increased alcohol use, there is insufficient evidence regarding intergenerational trauma’s impact on Hungarian women’s consumption of alcohol. Future research should focus on changing patterns of alcohol consumption in Hungarian women, particularly those with a history of intergenerational trauma.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Bonnie Horgos, MSW, LGSW is a third-year PhD student in Social Work at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research focuses on how gender and culture impact Hungarian-American women's perceptions of alcohol use, misuse, and disorder. She is a licensed graduate social worker with clinical experience in co-occurring substance and alcohol use disorders, intergenerational trauma, gender-based violence, and mass incarceration. In addition to her studies, Bonnie works for the University of Minnesota's Department of Psychiatry and the University of Minnesota’s School of Social Work.