The result of this study is consistent with a causal relationship between alcohol use disorders (AUD) and depressive disorders (DD) and suggests that therapeutic interventions for AUD may also have beneficial effects to lower DD rates. The independent effects of a lower socioeconomic status and AUD on DD may result in a vulnerable population cumulating disorders with heavy consequences on health and social well-being.

Author

Aurélie M. Lasserre (email: aurelie.lasserre@chuv.ch), Sameer Imtiaz, Michael Roerecke, Markus Heilig, Charlotte Probst and Jürgen Rehm

Citation

Lasserre AM, Imtiaz S, Roerecke M, Heilig M, Probst C, Rehm J. Socioeconomic status, alcohol use disorders, and depression: A population-based study. J Affect Disord. 2022 Mar 15;301:331-336. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.132.


Source
Journal of Affective Disorders
Release date
02/01/2022

Socioeconomic Status, Alcohol Use Disorders, and Depression: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Background

Depressive disorders (DD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD) frequently co-occur. They are key to understanding the current increases in “deaths of despair” among individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES). The aim of this study was to assess the prospective bidirectional associations between AUD and DD, as well as the effect of SES on these two conditions.

Methods

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions is a cohort study representative of the U.S. adult population, which began in 2001–2002, with follow-up interviews conducted 3 years later. SES was primarily operationalized as educational attainment. AUD, DD, and their levels of severity were defined according to the DSM-5 criteria.

Results

The risk of developing an incident DD increased gradually with the recency and the severity of AUD at baseline, but the converse was not observed. Lower SES was an independent risk for incident AUD or DD. SES did not modify the prospective association between AUD and DD.

Limitations

The absence of interaction between SES and moderate or severe AUD for the incident DD must be considered with caution due to the limited number of DD cases reported in these AUD categories.

Conclusions

This result is consistent with a causal relationship between AUD and DD, and suggests that therapeutic interventions for AUD may also have beneficial effects to lower DD rates. The independent effects of a lower SES and AUD on DD may result in a vulnerable population cumulating disorders with heavy consequences on health and social well-being.


Source Website: Science Direct