Changes in Alcohol Consumption Tied to Changes in Depression

Findings reveal parallel results for alcohol consumption, depression screens completed in primary care

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, July 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Changes in alcohol consumption screens completed in routine care are associated with parallel changes in depression screening results, according to a study published online June 16 in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Kevin A. Hallgren, Ph.D., from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues examined associations between changes in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption version (AUDIT-C) scores and changes in depression symptoms captured in brief screens completed in routine care. The analysis included 198,335 primary care patients who completed two AUDIT-C screens and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 depression screens 11 to 24 months apart.

The researchers found that subgroups with increases in AUDIT-C risk categories generally experienced increases in the prevalence of positive depression screens (risk ratios ranging from 0.95 to 2.00). Decreases in AUDIT-C risk categories were generally associated with decreases in the prevalence of positive depression screens (risk ratios ranging from 0.52 to 1.01). Similarly, patient subgroups with no changes in AUDIT-C risk categories experienced little or no change in the prevalence of positive depression screens (risk ratios ranging from 0.98 to 1.15).

“As hypothesized, changes in alcohol consumption reported on AUDIT-C screens completed in routine care were associated with changes in depression screening results,” the authors write. “Results support the validity and clinical utility of monitoring changes in AUDIT-C scores over time as a meaningful measure of changes in drinking.”