Correlates of alcohol use among anxious and depressed primary care patients

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the patterns of alcohol use for primary care patients with anxiety disorders and/or major depression in three urban university-affiliated outpatient clinics.

Method: A waiting room sample of adults was screened for anxiety disorders and major depression. Six hundred fourteen screened patients were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview [World Health Organization. Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) 2.1. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1997] and frequency-quantity alcohol use questions. Adjusted for age and gender, logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations between panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD, major depression and typical heavy (three drinks/two or more times a week) and frequent (four or more times a week) alcohol use.

Results: Of the patients, 6.19% (38/614) reported typical heavy drinking and 8.31% (51/614) reported frequent drinking in the preceding 3 months. PTSD was associated with heavy drinking (adjusted OR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3-7.3). Panic disorder was associated with frequent alcohol use (adjusted OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.2) but reduced heavy drinking (adjusted OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9). There was no significant relationship between alcohol use and the co-occurrence of two or more anxiety and/or mood disorders.

Conclusion: In an examination of primary care patients diagnosed, the majority of whom were with at least one anxiety disorder and/or major depression; current heavy and frequent alcohol use was associated with specific individual anxiety disorders and/or major depression.