Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To compare alcohol use between depressed and nondepressed older adults, and to investigate correlates of alcohol abstinence and at-risk alcohol consumption in depressed older adults.DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.SETTING: Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons (NESDO).PARTICIPANTS: A total of 373 participants (mean [standard deviation] age: 70.6 [7.3] years; 66{\%} women) diagnosed with a depressive disorder, and 128 nondepressed participants.MEASUREMENTS: Alcohol use was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Participants were categorized into abstainers (AUDIT score: 0), moderate drinkers (AUDIT score: 1-4), and at-risk drinkers (AUDIT score:?????5). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed with AUDIT categories as outcome, and demographic, social, somatic, and psychological variables as determinants.RESULTS: The depressed group consisted of 40.2{\%} abstainers, 40.8{\%} moderate drinkers, and 19.0{\%} at-risk drinkers. The depressed participants were more often abstinent and less often moderate drinkers than the nondepressed participants; they did not differ in at-risk drinking. Depressed abstainers more often used benzodiazepines but less often used antidepressants, and they had a poorer cognitive function than depressed moderate drinkers. Depressed at-risk drinkers were more often smokers and had fewer functional limitations but more severe depressive symptoms than depressed moderate drinkers.CONCLUSIONS: Although alcohol abstinence was more common in depressed than in nondepressed older adults, 19{\%} of depressed persons were at-risk drinkers. Because at-risk drinking is associated with more severe depression and may have a negative impact on health and treatment outcome, it is important that physicians consider alcohol use in depressed older adults.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 866-74 |
Number of pages | 791 |
Journal | The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2014 |
Keywords
- Aged
- Aging
- Aging: psychology
- Alcohol Abstinence
- Alcohol Abstinence: psychology
- Alcohol Drinking
- Alcohol Drinking: psychology
- Case-Control Studies
- Cognition
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Depressive Disorder
- Depressive Disorder: psychology
- Female
- Health Surveys
- Humans
- Male
- Netherlands