Correlates of Alcohol Use Among Anxious and Depressed Primary Care Patients

Objective

The purpose of this study is to determine the patterns of alcohol use for primary care patients with anxiety disorders and/or major depression in three urban university-affiliated outpatient clinics.

Method

A waiting room sample of adults was screened for anxiety disorders and major depression. Six hundred fourteen screened patients were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview [World Health Organization. Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) 2.1. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1997] and frequency-quantity alcohol use questions. Adjusted for age and gender, logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations between panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD, major depression and typical heavy (three drinks/two or more times a week) and frequent (four or more times a week) alcohol use.

Results

Of the patients, 6.19% (38/614) reported typical heavy drinking and 8.31% (51/614) reported frequent drinking in the preceding 3 months. PTSD was associated with heavy drinking (adjusted OR=3.1; 95% CI, 1.3–7.3). Panic disorder was associated with frequent alcohol use (adjusted OR=2.2; 95% CI, 1.2–4.2) but reduced heavy drinking (adjusted OR=0.4; 95% CI, 0.2–0.9). There was no significant relationship between alcohol use and the co-occurrence of two or more anxiety and/or mood disorders.

Conclusion

In an examination of primary care patients diagnosed, the majority of whom were with at least one anxiety disorder and/or major depression; current heavy and frequent alcohol use was associated with specific individual anxiety disorders and/or major depression.