Alcohol Use among Swedish Patients with Stress-Induced Exhaustion Disorder, and Its Relation to Anxiety, Depression, and Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

Harmful drinking may be a cause and an effect of psychological distress, and compromises the effects of treatment for psychiatric conditions. There is a paucity of studies investigating patterns of alcohol consumption among patients with stress-induced exhaustion disorder (SED). The aims of this investigation were (1) to assess the prevalence of self-rated hazardous drinking in a sample of 808 Swedish patients with SED (mean age 43 ± 9 years, 84% women), and (2) to investigate differences in sociodemographic variables, psychological symptoms, health-related quality of life, and sleep variables between patients with different drinking patterns The design was cross-sectional and data were collected with questionnaires at pre-treatment. Twelve percent of female and 13% of male patients reported Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) scores indicating hazardous drinking. Female patients with hazardous drinking reported higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower mental wellbeing, than other women. Female patients reporting no drinking reported poorer physical function and more pain, than other women. No differences were seen between male patients with different drinking patterns. Although patients with SED report a lower frequency of harmful drinking than other psychiatric samples, alcohol consumption needs to be addressed in the assessment and treatment of this condition.