Association of adolescent symptoms of depression and anxiety with alcohol use disorders in young adulthood: findings from the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association of adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms with alcohol abuse or dependence in young adulthood. Design, setting and participants: Cohort study of the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults in Victoria, assessed at 8 waves (periods) of data collection, from age 14 to 24 years, between 1992 and 2003. Young people who participated in the cohort study at least once during the six adolescent assessment points (conducted 6 months apart, from age 14 to 17 years), at least once during young adulthood and who were alive at Wave 8 (n = 1758). Main outcome measure: Alcohol abuse or dependence assessed using the alcohol and substance abuse modules of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview at age 24 years. Results: Adolescents with moderate to high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms (measured by the revised Clinical Interview Schedule) had an increased risk of alcohol abuse or dependence in young adulthood, compared with young adults with low levels of adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Risk was higher for those with symptoms at more than two adolescent assessment points (odds ratio [OR] 1.9; 95% CI, 1.7–2.0) and for those with symptoms at one or two assessment points (OR 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2–1.4), compared with those with no above‐threshold symptoms in adolescence. Conclusions: Adolescents with depression and anxiety symptoms are at increased risk for alcohol use disorders into young adulthood. They warrant vigilance from primary care providers in relation to alcohol use well into adulthood.

Anxiety and depression symptoms and alcohol use among adolescents - a cross sectional study of Norwegian secondary school students

“…While panic disorder and social anxiety seem to have a clear relationship with hazardous alcohol use, the link is less evident for generalized anxiety disorder, and there seems to be no relationship with separation anxiety. It is also possible that the relationships with symptoms of anxiety increases with age [28], perhaps primarily due to increased availability of alcohol, and increase in the inclinations to use alcohol as a mean to cope with anxiety symptoms.…”

Alcohol-Related Context Modulates Performance of Social Drinkers in a Visual Go/No-Go Task: A Preliminary Assessment of Event-Related Potentials

“…Indeed, young drinkers with depression and anxiety symptoms have been shown to be at increased risk of alcohol use disorder during young adulthood [43].…”

The detrimental effects of emotional process dysregulation on decision-making in substance dependence

“…Carpenter and Hasin demonstrated that in a sample of heavy drinkers the tendency to drink in an attempt to cope with negative affect was a risk factor for the subsequent development of alcohol dependence (Carpenter and Hasin, 1998). Furthermore, longitudinal studies have shown that adolescents with symptoms of depression and anxiety were at a greater risk of developing alcohol dependence (Mackie et al, 2011; McKenzie et al, 2011). Such findings may reflect the ability of alcohol to reduce negative affect (Gilman et al, 2008).…”