Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Burn Injury-Induced Pain and Depression-Like Behavior in Mice
Published on: September 29, 2021
Relationship between Alcohol Intake and Chronic Pain with Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the
Takashi Amatsu1, Hiromasa Tsujiguchi1,2,3, Akinori Hara1,2,3
1Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
Abstract:
Although alcohol intake is associated with chronic pain (CP) and analgesia, epidemiological studies have not yet examined the factors affecting the relationship between alcohol intake and CP in detail. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between alcohol intake and CP in community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly individuals with/without depressive symptoms. Participants comprised 2223 inhabitants of Shika town in Ishikawa prefecture, located on the Noto Peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, and included 1007 males and 1216 females. CP, depressive symptoms, and alcohol intake were assessed using a CP questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 and the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire, respectively. In males without depressive symptoms, mean alcohol intake was significantly higher at 5.70% energy (27.92 g/day) in the CP group than that of 3.75% energy (20.00 g/day) in the non-CP group. The prevalence of low back/knee pain was also significantly higher in males with than in those without depressive symptoms. The present results suggest that long-term alcohol intake is related to CP by reducing the pain threshold and enhancing nociceptive pain as a possible mechanism. However, even a low alcohol intake was associated with psychogenic pain in participants with depressive symptoms. Further studies to investigate the involvement of depressive symptoms and alcohol intake in CP and its prevention are needed.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Depressants
Alcohol is a common depressant that can induce a sense of relaxation and reduced inhibition at low doses. Contrary to its occasional...
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Analgesia and Pain Management
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

