Objective: Our aims were to study associations between depressive disorders
and alcohol dependence/abuse (ADA) in a female population-based sample, an
d to identify risk indicators common to both depressive disorders and ADA.
Method: Three hundred and sixteen women in a stratified randomized sample w
ere interviewed face to face. They were asked about their childhood/adolesc
ence and alcohol habits. Clinical lifetime diagnoses according to DSM-III-R
were made. Depressive disorders includes different mood disorders.
Results: Half the women with ADA also had a depressive disorder, and 25% of
the women with depressive disorders also had ADA. Alcohol intoxication bef
ore the age of 15 and psychological and/or psychiatric problems before the
age of 18 years increased the risk for ADA and depressive disorders in our
study.
Conclusion: Our results support previous findings of an association between
depressive disorders and ADA, beginning early in life.