The Relationship Between Alchohol Abuse and Depression

Live Poster Sessionhttps://us05web.zoom.us/j/85464795387?pwd=aWadMGHZGjMR4BSBKOBdtyN16GZXpL

Abstract: Studies have found depression to be a contributing factor that leads to alcohol overconsumption, though research varies (Brière et al., 2014; Gilman et al., 2001; Boden et al., 2011). This research project hopes to support this argument, investigating the relationship between depression and alcohol use, and discovering whether this association varies between males and females. Using data from 9,857 respondents in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), measures included the number of depression and alcohol abuse episodes, depression-related symptoms, and drinking status. Logistic regression analysis showed that higher depression-related symptom scores were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being a current drinker, with each unit increase in depressive symptoms raising the odds of drinking by approximately 2.75%. At zero depressive symptoms, the probability of being a drinker was estimated at 61%. However, linear regression revealed no statistically significant association between the number of alcohol episodes and the number of depression episodes, and multivariate analyses found no meaningful differences between males and females in this relationship. These findings suggest that while depressive symptoms increase the likelihood of alcohol use, the frequency of alcohol consumption does not predict the number of depressive episodes, with gender also not affecting these patterns. Further research is needed to clarify the direction of causality and explore additional factors, such as stress, that may influence the link between depression and alcohol use.

Martinez-QAC-201-Poster.pptx-2