Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T13:44:46.792Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Alcohol use and depression from middle age to the oldest old: gender is more important than age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2012

Robert J. Tait ,
Davina J. French ,
Richard Burns  and
Kaarin J. Anstey
Robert J. Tait*
Affiliation:
Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Davina J. French
Affiliation:
Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Richard Burns
Affiliation:
Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Kaarin J. Anstey
Affiliation:
Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Robert J. Tait, Centre for Mental Health Research, College of Medicine and Health Science, Building 63, Eggleston Road, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia. Phone: +61 2 6125 9106; Fax: +61 2 61250733. Email: Robert.Tait@anu.edu.au.
Get access

Abstract

Background: Alcohol use disorders are associated with other mental health disorders in young adults, but there are few data on alcohol use and mental health outcomes in older adults, particularly the oldest old. This study examines the relationship between alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms.

Methods: Data were collected from the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project, which has pooled nine Australian longitudinal studies. Alcohol consumption was classified using standard drinks (10 g alcohol)/day as: abstinent, low risk (<0–≤2 standard drinks), long-term risk (>2–≤4) and short-term risk (>4). Probable depression was classified from harmonized scores on various standard instruments (e.g. Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale).

Results: Overall, 39,104 (86%) participants contributed data. Alcohol classification at baseline showed 7,526 abstinent, 28,112 low risk, 2,271 long-term risk, and 1,195 short-term risk participants. Age ranged from 45 to 103 year (median 60). Using generalized estimating equations (GEE), there were significant gender by alcohol and gender by age interactions, so the analysis was split by gender. Among males, the abstinent and short-term risk groups had increased likelihood of depression: in females the abstinent, long- and short-term risk groups had increased odds of depression. Increased odds of depression was also associated with former and current smoking, younger age-group, not being partnered, leaving school before age 15 and increasing levels of health-impaired walking, dressing, or bathing.

Conclusion: The impact of alcohol use differs by gender, nevertheless those using higher levels of alcohol or who smoke should be screened for depression and may benefit from interventions.

Keywords

agedoldest oldlongitudinalDYNOPTArisk factors
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 24 , Special Issue 8: Focus on late life depression , August 2012 , pp. 1275 - 1283
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anstey, K. J. et al. (2010). Cohort profile: the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) Project. International Journal of Epidemiology, 39, 44–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anstey, K. J., Windsor, T. D., Rodgers, B., Jorm, A. F. and Christensen, H. (2005). Lower cognitive test scores observed in alcohol abstainers are associated with demographic, personality, and biological factors: the PATH through life project. Addiction, 100, 1291–1301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results. Cat. no. 4326.0. Canberra: ABS.Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2003). Summary Attributable Burden: Risk Factors. Canberra: AIHW.Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2008). 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey: Detailed Findings. Drug statistics series no. 22 Cat. no. PHE 107. Canberra: AIHW.Google Scholar
Babor, T. F., de la Fuente, J. R., Saunders, J. B. and Grant, M. (1992). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: Guidelines for Use in Primary Health Care. Geneva: World Health Organization.Google Scholar
Burns, R. A., Butterworth, P., Windsor, T., Luszcz, M. A., Ross, L. A. and Anstey, K. J. (2011). Deriving prevalence estimates of depressive symptoms throughout middle and old age in those living in the community. International Psychogeriatrics. Epublished ahead of print. doi:10.1017/S1041610211002109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byles, J., Young, A., Furuya, H. and Parkinson, L. (2006). A drink to healthy aging: the association between older women's use of alcohol and their health-related quality of life. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 54, 1341–1347.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chan, A. M., von Mühlen, D., Kritz-Silverstein, D. and Barrett-Connor, E. (2009). Regular alcohol consumption is associated with increasing quality of life and mood in older men and women: the Rancho Bernardo Study. Maturitas, 62, 294–300.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gatz, M., Johansson, B., Pedersen, N., Stig, B. and Reynolds, C. (1993). A cross-national self-report measure of depressive symptomatology. International Psychogeriatrics, 5, 147–156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gayman, M. D., Turner, R. J. and Cui, M. (2008). Physical limitations and depressive symptoms: exploring the nature of the association. Journal of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 63B, S219–S228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haynie, D. A., Berg, S., Johansson, B., Gatz, M. and Zarit, S. H. (2001). Symptoms of depression in the oldest old. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 56, P111–P118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jorm, A. F. et al. (1995). The psychogeriatric assessment scales: a multidimensional alternative to categorical diagnoses of dementia and depression in the elderly. Psychological Medicine, 25, 447–460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kessler, R. C., Nelson, C. B., McGonagle, K. A., Edlund, M. J., Frank, R. G. and Leaf, P. J. (1996). The epidemiology of co-occurring addictive and mental disorders: implications for prevention and service utilization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 66, 17–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucas, N., Windsor, T. D., Caldwell, T. M. and Rodgers, B. (2010). Psychological distress in non-drinkers: associations with previous heavy drinking and current social relationships. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 45, 95–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mehta, M. et al. (2008). Depressive symptoms in late life: associations with apathy, resilience and disability vary between young-old and old-old. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 238–243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merikangas, K. R. et al. (1998). Comorbidity of substance use disorders with mood and anxiety disorders: results of the International Consortium in Psychiatric Epidemiology. Addictive Behaviors, 23, 893–907.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mukamal, K. et al. (2005). Alcohol use and risk of ischemic stroke among older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Stroke, 36, 1830–1836.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Health and Medical Research Council (2009). Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. Canberra: NHMRC.Google Scholar
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2004). Gender differences in risk factors and consequences for alcohol use and problems. Clinical Psychology Review, 24, 981–1010.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pattenden, S., Nanchahal, K., Primatesta, P. and Thom, B. (2008). Self-reported never-drinkers in England 1994–2003: characteristics and trends in adults aged 18–54 years. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 43, 91–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rimm, E. B., Williams, P., Fosher, K., Criqui, M. and Stampfer, M. J. (1999). Moderate alcohol intake and lower risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of effects on lipids and haemostatic factors. BMJ, 319, 1906–1912.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rodgers, B., Korten, A. E., Jorm, A. F., Christensen, H., Henderson, S. and Jacomb, P. A. (2000). Risk factors for depression and anxiety in abstainers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. Addiction, 95, 1833–1845.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stek, M. L., Gussekloo, J., Beekman, A. T. F., van Tilburg, W. and Westendorp, R. G. J. (2004). Prevalence, correlates and recognition of depression in the oldest old: the Leiden 85-plus study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 78, 193–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Teachman, B. A. (2006). Aging and negative affect: the rise and fall and rise of anxiety and depression symptoms. Psychology and Aging, 21, 201–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turvey, C. L., Schultz, S. K. and Klein, D. M. (2006). Alcohol use and health outcomes in the oldest old. Substance Abuse Treatment Prevention and Policy, 1, 8. doi: 10.1186/1747-1597X-1181-1188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ware, J., Kosinski, M. and Keller, S. (1996). A 12-item Short-Form Health Survey: construction of scales and preliminary tests of reliability and validity. Medical Care, 34, 220–233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ware, J., Snow, K., Kosinski, M. and Gandek, B. (1993). SF-36 Health Survey Manual and Interpretation Guide. Boston: The Health Institute, New England Medical Centre.Google Scholar
Webb, G. R., Redman, S., Gibberd, R. W. and Sanson-Fisher, R. W. (1991). The reliability and stability of a quantity-frequency method and a diary method of measuring alcohol consumption. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 27, 223–231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar