Affective disorders, anxiety disorders and the risk of alcohol dependence and misuse

Abstract

Background: It is unclear whether common affective disorders and anxiety disorders increase the risk of alcohol dependence and alcohol misuse. Aims: To investigate whether affective disorders and anxiety disorders increase the risk of alcohol dependence and alcohol misuse. Method: This study is a retrospective cohort study based on data collected from the 2007 Australia Mental Health and Well-Being survey. Both Poisson and logistic regression models were used for multivariate analysis. Results: Participants with affective disorders (relative risk (RR) = 5.46, 95% CI 4.08-7.31 for alcohol dependence within 5 years of onset; RR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.93-3.99 after first 5 years) and anxiety disorders (RR = 3.33, 95% CI 2.37-4.68 for alcohol dependence within first 5 years of onset; RR = 3.56, 95% CI 2.72-4.64 after first 5 years) were at higher risk of alcohol misuse and alcohol dependence. Conclusions: Common affective disorders and anxiety disorders may increase the risk of alcohol dependence and alcohol misuse among the Australian population.