Risky Drinking Associated With Psychiatric Disorders

The
association between risky drinking and medical consequences,
such as hypertension, is well known. Less is known, however,
about the relationship between risky drinking and psychiatric
disorders. To explore this relationship, researchers assessed
average alcohol consumption and psychiatric diagnoses
in a population-based sample of 4074 German adults. Analyses
were cross-sectional and adjusted for age, sex, and unemployment.

• Risky
  drinkers (i.e., those without abuse or dependence who
  consumed risky amounts*) were significantly more likely
  than moderate drinkers or abstainers to have an affective
  disorder (odds ratio [OR] 1.9), an anxiety disorder
  (OR 1.5), or a somatoform disorder (OR 1.6).
• Thirty-seven
  percent of risky drinkers-compared with 28% of moderate
  drinkers or abstainers-had a psychiatric disorder.

Comments:

Psychiatric
disease often co-occurs with alcohol use disorders. According
to this study’s findings, it may also co-occur with risky
drinking. Further research should confirm these results
by examining samples from other countries and by using
longitudinal designs.

Richard Saitz, MD, MPH

Reference:

Bott K, Meyer C, Rumpf HJ, et al. Psychiatric disorders among at-risk consumers of alcohol in the general population. J Stud Alcohol. 2005;66(2):246-253.