Clinicians should consider the variability in mental health-related Quality of Life among those with moderate-to-severe Alcohol Use Disorder and Tobacco Use Disorder, particularly for women and sexual minorities. Consideration of current and past stressors and the degree of social support may be beneficial when conducting assessments and forming treatment plans.

Author

Rebecca J .Evans-Polce (email: bjevans@umich.edu), Luisa Kcomt, Philip T. Veliz, Carol J. Boyd and Sean Esteban McCabe

Citation

Evans-Polce RJ, Kcomt L, Veliz PT, Boyd CJ, McCabe SE. Mental health-related quality of life by sex and sexual identity among U.S. adults with alcohol and tobacco use disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 May;149:136-144. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.02.025.

Source
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Release date
02/03/2022

Mental Health-Related Quality of Life by Sex and Sexual Identity Among U.S. Adults With Alcohol and Tobacco Use Disorder

Research paper

Abstract

Introduction

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and tobacco use disorder (TUD) are more severe among some sexual minority subgroups. It is less understood whether mental health indicators also differ by sexual identity among those with more severe forms of AUD and TUD. This study examined differences in mental health-related QoL by sex-specific sexual identity subgroup among those meeting criteria for moderate-to-severe AUD or moderate-to-severe TUD.

Methods

This study analyzed data from the National Epidemiologic Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (2012–2013; n = 36,309). The analyses focused on those meeting criteria for past-year moderate-to-severe AUD (n = 2341) and past-year moderate-to-severe TUD (n = 3675). Using multivariable linear regression, the researchers examined associations of sex-specific sexual identity subgroups with mental health-related QoL, while controlling for (a) sociodemographic characteristics, (b) disorder severity, and (c) risk and protective factors (adverse childhood experiences, parental history of substance misuse, stressful life events, and social support).

Results

Among those with past-year moderate-to-severe AUD, gay men and heterosexual, bisexual, and gay/lesbian women had significantly lower mental health-related QoL compared to heterosexual men in fully adjusted models. Among those with past-year moderate-to-severe TUD, gay men and heterosexual and gay/lesbian women had significantly lower mental health-related QoL compared to heterosexual women. Bisexual and heterosexual women were not significantly different in fully adjusted models.

Discussion

Clinicians should consider the variability in mental health-related QoL among those with moderate-to-severe AUD and TUD, particularly for women and sexual minorities. Consideration of current and past stressors and the degree of social support may be beneficial when conducting assessments and forming treatment plans.

Source Website: Science Direct