Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal association between changes in depressive symptoms and hazardous drinking among South Korean adults.Participants/Methods: This study was conducted using a sample drawn from participants enrolled in the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS) from 2013 to 2018. Hazardous drinking was defined as a score of 11 points for men and seven points for women on the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using an 11-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. A generalized estimating equation model was used to analyze the association between changes in depressive symptoms and hazardous drinking.Results: Of the 12,878 people registered with KoWePS and without follow-up losses from 2013 to 2018, a total of 2,341 were included in this study, excluding those under the age of 19 and those with missing data. Persistent depressive symptoms (men, odds ratio [OR]: 2.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48–3.21; women, OR: 2.64, 95% CI: 1.66–4.22) and the changes from non-depressive symptoms to depressive symptoms (men, adjusted OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.80–2.64; women, OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.27–2.29) increased the likelihood of hazardous drinking.Conclusions: Persistent depressive symptoms and changes from non-depressive to depressive symptoms are associated with increased prevalence of hazardous drinking. This suggests that an evaluation of the underlying mental illness or emotion should be made when counseling for abstaining from alcohol for chronic drinkers or the general public.
Highlights
Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world; health problems related to alcohol consumption are very important public health issues [1]
The Yes→ Yes group had the highest odds ratios (ORs) for hazardous drinking (HZD) (OR = 2.20; 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 1.48–3.21)
The No→ Yes group had a higher OR for HZD than the No→ No group (OR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.80–2.64)
Summary
Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world; health problems related to alcohol consumption are very important public health issues [1]. In addition to the recognized alcohol-related disorders, such as dependence or harmful use, there is growing interest in effects of hazardous drinking (HZD) of alcohol, which is defined as the level of drinking or drinking pattern that, if sustained, is likely to cause harm [2]. HZD is defined as a level of alcohol consumption that poses a risk but does not meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) [6]. These definitions clearly indicate that HZD can be harmful. It is associated with individual psychological and social problems [7, 8]
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