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Modeling Alcohol Consumption in Rodents Using Two-Bottle Choice Home Cage Drinking and Microstructural Analysis

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Moderate alcohol consumption and depression - a longitudinal population-based study in Sweden.

K Gémes^1,2, Y Forsell¹, I Janszky^1,3,4

¹Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

|April 14, 2019

Summary

Light to moderate alcohol consumption is linked to a lower risk of depression. However, hazardous drinking significantly increases depression risk, highlighting the importance of consumption levels.

Keywords:

alcohol consumption depression hazardous drinking longitudinal cohort study

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Epidemiology
Public Health

Background:

The relationship between alcohol consumption and depression is complex and bidirectional.
Previous research has not fully clarified whether alcohol use precedes depression or vice versa.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of alcohol consumption on the risk of developing depression.
To account for the potential bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

Utilized data from the PART study (1998-2010) with over 10,000 participants.
Employed marginal structural models to analyze associations, controlling for time-varying confounders.
Assessed alcohol consumption, depression symptoms, and various psychosocial factors.

Main Results:

Non-drinkers had a 1.7 times higher risk of depression compared to light drinkers (≤7 drinks/week).
Hazardous drinking was associated with an 1.8 times higher risk of depression compared to non-hazardous consumption.
Moderate alcohol consumption (7-14 drinks/week) showed a similar depression risk to light drinking.

Conclusions:

Light and moderate alcohol consumption, along with non-hazardous drinking patterns, are associated with the lowest risk of subsequent depression.
Hazardous alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for developing depression, even after accounting for bidirectionality.