The association of depression and problem drinking: Analyses from the Baltimore ECA follow-up study

In this study, we hypothesized that there would be an increased risk of gre ater alcohol consumption among depressed problem drinkers than those withou t depression in the prior year, and that the strength of this association w ould be stronger for women. As part of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (EC A) program, probability samples of area residents were selected and the bas eline interview for the Baltimore site was completed in 1981. Between 1993 and 1996, 73% of the survivors (n = 2633) were reinterviewed. For the 334 p roblem drinkers identified, the occurrence of a depressive episode and leve l of alcohol consumption for each intervening year between the baseline and followup interviews were assessed. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used for logistic regression analyses to examine the association betwe en the occurrence of depression in the prior year with transition to higher -level drinking in the subsequent year. The problem drinkers tended to have a bimodal association of transitioning to higher-level drinking; although the strength of the association was greater for men. Future research will n eed to assess the potential influences on this relationship of other sociod emographic and psychopathologic characteristics, including the effect of tr eatment for depression or substance use. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.