Abstract
Background: This review aims to summarize current evidence on the relationship between early life mental health and alcohol use in adulthood. Methods: Peer-reviewed publications were located by searching EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO and ISI Web of Science up to 4th April 2017. Prospective longitudinal studies reporting associations between early life externalizing and internalizing problems and later alcohol use behaviours were included. Information, including associations, age when exposure/outcome was measured and interactions between early life externalizing/internalizing problems and gender, were extracted. Results: 15279 articles were screened; 51 articles met the inclusion criteria, of which 22 focused on externalizing domain and 44 on internalizing domain. Of the 22 articles examining externalizing problems, 19 reported positive associations. The likelihood of observing a positive association was higher with more severe alcohol use outcomes. There was insufficient evidence to conclude whether the age when externalizing problems occur matters. Of the 44 articles focusing on the internalizing domain, 15 used internalizing problems, 20 assessed depression, and 14 used anxiety as the exposure. Results were inconclusive, as studies showing a positive, negative and no association were nearly evenly distributed across dimensions of the internalizing domain and different alcohol use phenotypes. Conclusions: Early life externalizing problems have a consistent positive relationship with later alcohol use behaviours. The association between internalizing problems and alcohol use behaviours remains inconclusive. More studies are needed to shed further light on the association between internalizing and alcohol phenotypes and to investigate whether critical/sensitive periods or accumulation of externalizing problems underlie the observed associations. Funding: This project is a PhD project funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Declaration of Interest: None.
Highlights
Alcohol use is a major public concern, being responsible for 3.8% of deaths worldwide in 2004 with the proportion increasing to 5.9% in 2012
We examined the association between early life mental health problems and alcohol use behaviours in adulthood by considering a) subtypes of early life mental health problems (EXT, internalising problems (INT), depression, anxiety), b) subtypes of alcohol use behaviours, c) whether externalising problems (EXT)/INT was adjusted for d) the developmental timing in which mental health problems occurred [30], and alcohol use behaviours occurred, midlife and beyond [41 years old onwards]), e) whether the association varies across sex, history, and culture
Our review points to a positive association between early life EXT and various alcohol use behaviours with more consistent positive associations being observed as the outcome becomes more severe
Summary
Alcohol use is a major public concern, being responsible for 3.8% of deaths worldwide in 2004 with the proportion increasing to 5.9% in 2012. Identifying modifiable risk factors and the interactions among them is key to successful
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