Associations Between Alcohol And Depression

What exactly are the links between alcohol and depression?

A number of  studies have shown links between abuse of alcohol and depression. Yet, it’s been unsure whether one condition leads to another, or whether the same underlying environmental or hereditary risk factor will increase risk for both.

Now a study has indicated that issues with abuse of alcohol can result in a greater chance of depression, rather than the reverse where people with depression self medicate using alcohol.

Experts looked at the associations between abuse of alcohol and depression making use of data collected in a 25 year health study. 1,055 people were looked at for both dependence or abuse of alcohol and depression conditions at years seventeen to eighteen, twenty to twenty one and twenty-four to twenty-five years, as well as asked questions regarding demographic factors and lifestyle.

Three models had been looked at to suit the results, one in which abuse of alcohol and depression had a mutual association within time, another where alcohol disorders brought about major depression plus a 3rd where major depression resulted in alcohol problems.

“The results indicated that the most suitable model seemed to be that where there’s a one way association with alcohol abuse or dependence to major depression though not an opposite outcome from major depression to alcohol dependence or abuse”

Journal Reference for: Associations Between Alcohol And Depression