5-YEAR COURSE OF MAJOR DEPRESSION - EFFECTS OF COMORBID ALCOHOLISM

Some patients enter psychiatric treatment with clear cases of both maj or depression and alcoholism. While assumptions are often made about t he relationships of these two conditions, little empirical evidence ex ists on the effects of sustained remissions in alcoholism on sustained remissions in depression. 127 patients with both disorders at treatme nt entry were studied over a 5-year period. Survival analyses with tim e-dependent covariates indicating alcoholism status were used to inves tigate remissions and relapses in major depression. Remission in alcoh olism strongly and significantly increased the chances of remission in depression and were also related to reduced chances of depression rel apse, although at a weaker level.