A Prospective Study of Sex-specific Effects of Major Depression on Alcohol Consumption

Objective: To evaluate the impact of major depression on alcohol use in the Canadian general population.

Method: This study was based on a 2-year follow-up of the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) longitudinal cohort. Subjects reporting various patterns of drinking, with and without major depression, were selected using the 1994-95 NPHS data. Data collected during a reevaluation of these subjects 2 years later were analyzed to determine whether having major depression at the 1994-95 interview predicted subsequent changes in drinking patterns.

Results: Subjects who were depressed in 1994-95 were generally not at higher risk of starting drinking or drinking more frequently than once a week. However, women who were depressed, especially those who were 19 years old or older, were at higher risk of having 5 or more drinks at least once monthly.

Conclusion: These results confirm that mood disorders can impact on alcohol consumption in women. A component of the well-known association between alcohol consumption and major depression is due to "reverse" causal effects. Proper management of depression in women may contribute to the prevention of problem drinking.