South West study links adolescent alcohol dependence and depression

A study from the University of Bristol and UCL have found those who show signs of alcohol dependence at a young age are a higher risk of depression by their mid-20s

Author: Oliver Morgan / Nina Massey, PAPublished 2nd Jun 2023

Researchers at Bristol Uni and at UCL have found teens who show signs of alcohol dependence are more likely to developers in their mid-20s.

Experts say the findings of their latest study reinforce the importance of protecting young people from the harms of drinking.

The consumption of alcohol amongst 18 to 24 year olds is still falling, but Alcohol Change UK say a 'significant' number still use it in a harmful way.

Researchers also found drinking large amounts of alcohol regularly, but with no signs of dependency, did not predict the risk of depression.

An inability to stop drinking, failure to meet normal expectations due to drinking, and feeling a need to drink after a heavy session, as well as harmful effects such as drink-related memory loss, were considered signs of alcohol dependence.

Co-lead author Dr Gemma Lewis, UCL Psychiatry, said: "By using a large, longitudinal dataset, we have found evidence that problematic drinking patterns in late adolescence may increase the risk of developing depression years later.

"Problematic drinking patterns could be a warning sign of future mental health problems, so helping young people to avoid problematic alcohol use could have long-term benefits to their mental health."

The research

Researchers looked at 3,902 people across the south west of England, part of the Children of the 90s birth cohort study, with their findings published in The Lancet Psychiatry suggesting people who appeared to be dependent on alcohol at age 18 (or at any age from 17 to 22) were more likely than their peers to have depression at age 24.

Those with a score of 'zero' on the alcohol dependence scale at age 18 face an 11% probability of depression by age 24.

That compares with 15% for those with a score of one on the scale.

This difference on the dependency sale represents a 28% increase in the probability of not being able to stop drinking once started, and a 33% increase in the probability of failing to do what was normally expected.

This trajectory remains the same, even when substance use and the symptoms of depression at the age of 16 are brought into consideration.

According to the scientists, this indicates there may be a causal relationship between alcohol dependence and subsequent depression that is not explained by poor overall mental health in adolescence.

How much alcohol someone consumed was not alone associated with an increased risk of depression - partly, experts suggest, because drinking in late adolescence is often tied with reflecting social norms.

A 'significant number' of young people still drink alcohol in a 'harmful way'

Co-lead author Dr Gemma Hammerton, University of Bristol, said: "While we found that alcohol consumption alone did not appear to increase the probability of depression, heavy drinking can be a precursor to dependence, and can have harmful physical health impacts in the longer term as well.

"High frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption therefore remain important as targets to prevent or reduce during adolescence.

"Public health interventions to prevent depression could target problematic alcohol use - such as if alcohol is having a negative impact on a person's personal relationships or responsibilities - which is likely to occur before dependence, and involve high frequency and quantity of consumption."

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council and Alcohol Research UK (now Alcohol Change UK).

Mark Leyshon, senior research and policy manager at Alcohol Change UK, said: "Alcohol consumption amongst 18 to 24-year-olds has been falling for some time.

"However, there remains a significant number of young people who use alcohol in a harmful way.

"There were over 40,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions amongst under-24s in 2019, and more than a quarter of these were for mental and behavioural disorders as a result of alcohol.

"The findings from this new study reinforce the importance of protecting young people from alcohol harm, through early intervention and proper funding of youth addictions services so that the right support and treatment is there for everyone who needs it."

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