ALCOHOL AND DEPRESSION - EFFECTS ON MOOD AND BIASED PROCESSING OF SELF-RELEVANT INFORMATION

Alcohol's effects on mood and processing of self-relevant information were studied in a sample of 57 college students (39 men and 18 women). Participants were blocked on level of depression and were randomly as signed to alcohol or placebo conditions. After beverage consumption, p articipants processed trait adjectives under self-relevant and semanti c-processing instructions. Results showed that biased processing of de pressed-content adjectives by depressed participants under placebo con ditions was reversed after consuming alcohol. Further, reduced recall of depressed-content, self-relevant information after alcohol consumpt ion was significantly related to alcohol-enhanced mood in depressed pa rticipants. Results are discussed in relation to mechanisms of reinfor cement that may link the coexistence of alcohol abuse and affective di sorders.