Gender Differences in the Relation between Depressive Symptoms and Alcohol Problems: A Longitudinal Perspective

Longitudinal relations between depressive symptoms and alcohol problems have been examined infre-quently in community-based studies, and gender-specific findings to date appear to be inconclusive. Study hypotheses were that depressive symptoms predicted subsequent alcohol problems for females, whereas alcohol problems predicted subsequent depressive symptoms for males. The authors examined these rela-tions in a random sample of household adults (aged 19 years or more) from Erie County, New York, assessed in 1986, 1989, and 1993 (n = 1,306). Measures of alcohol problems (in the previous year) incorporated an alcohol abuse/dependence diagnosis and a heavy alcohol use index. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms over a 1-month time frame. Comprehensive logistic regression models incorporated prior depressive symptoms, prior alcohol problems, and sociodemo-graphic variables (age, race, education, marital status, employment, total family income, and number of children living at home). For females, depressive symptoms predicted subsequent alcohol problems over 3 years (odds ratio = 3.04, 95 % confidence interval 1.35-6.80, p < 0.01) and 4 years (odds ratio = 2.42, 95% confidence interval 1.14-5.12, p < 0.05), but not for 7 years. There was no evidence to support the hypothesis for males. This study clarifies and extends prior investigations of relations between these two prevalent mental health problems in a community-based sample. Am J Epidemiol 1997;146:966-74