Socioeconomic outcomes following outpatient treatment for alcohol, cannabis, and gambling disorder in Greenland: Changes in income, employment, and welfare utilization
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: AIMS: To investigate changes in income, employment, and welfare utilization among individuals receiving addiction treatment in Greenland. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide register based study using longitudinal data from the Allorfik treatment database linked with national socioeconomic registers. We included 1157 individuals aged 18-60 who had a recorded treatment episode between 2017 and 2021, retaining the first eligible episode per person. We examined annual income, employment status, and welfare utilization at four time points: the year before treatment cessation (Year -1), the year of cessation (Year 0), and the first two years after cessation (Years 1 and 2). We used generalized estimating equations to estimate changes in outcomes over time. RESULTS: Increases in income (13.03% in Year 1, p < 0.008; 17.21% in Year 2, p = 0.005) and odds of employment (Year 1: OR = 1.20, p = 0.033; Year 2: OR = 1.25, p = 0.018) were observed after treatment cessation, along with decreases in odds of welfare utilization (Year 1: OR = 0.66, p ≤0.001; Year 2: OR = 0.57, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This first nationwide register-based study of addiction treatment in Greenland shows small yet consistent socioeconomic improvements following treatment. While causality cannot be inferred, the findings provide important descriptive evidence from an Indigenous Arctic population and highlight the need for future studies with comparison groups.
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,440
OpenAlex ID: W7135176589