Authors: Rosa Alati¹; Stuart Kinner¹; Jake M. Najman¹; Greg Fowler¹; Kerrianne Watt²; David Green³

Source: Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 39, Number 5, September 2004 , pp. 463-469(7)

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract:

Aims: There is evidence of a non-linear relationship between alcohol consumption and mental health status, and of an association between tobacco use and poor mental health. This paper examines the nature of the association between usual alcohol consumption, tobacco use and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Emergency Department patients in Queensland, Australia. Methods: A cross sectional survey of patients aged 16–84 presenting for treatment over a 14 day period to Gold Coast Hospital Emergency Department using socio-demographic items, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to measure moderate, hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to measure state anxiety and depression. Results: 812 patients were interviewed. Gender differences in results were evident. For men, there was a U-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and anxiety/depression, and a linear association between smoking and anxiety. For women, alcohol consumption and anxiety/depression showed a more linear relationship, but there was no significant relationship between tobacco use and anxiety/depression. Conclusions: There may be important gender differences in the relationships between alcohol consumption, tobacco use and mental health status. This study supports previous evidence that mental health status of non-drinkers is worse than that of moderate drinkers, but only among males.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agh080

Affiliations: 1: Queensland Alcohol and Drug Research and Education Centre (QADREC), School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Herston QLD 4006, Australia, 2: Violence Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Wales Health, South Wales, United Kingdom and 3: Accident and Emergency Department, Gold Coast Hospital, QLD 4215, Australia

Publication date: 2004-09-01

More about this publication?

• Alcohol and Alcoholism publishes papers on biomedical, psychological and sociological aspects of alcoholism and alcohol research, provided that they make a new and significant contribution to knowledge in the field. Papers include new results obtained experimentally, descriptions of new experimental (including clinical) methods of importance to the field of alcohol research and treatment, or new interpretations of existing results. Theoretical contributions are considered equally with papers dealing with experimental work provided that such theoretical contribution are not of a largely speculative or philosophical nature. Alcohol and Alcoholism is the official journal of the Medical Council on Alcohol.

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