Alcohol abuse/ dependence is prevalence, and it has negative consequences for health and quality of life among the young population. Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are common in the United States, with a prevalence rate of 8.5%. AUDs are comorbid with mood and anxiety disorders as evaluated in past studies. Thus, the purpose of the study is to assess the prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence on a sample of young adults and the prevalence of comorbid mood disorders, anxiety, and suicide risk in Brazil.
The study is a cross-sectional population-based study. A sample of 1,953 participants between 18 and 35 years in the city of Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil took part in the study. The participants were selected in clusters from June 2011 to October 2012. The research instruments collected various forms of information, including sociodemographic, economic, BMI, and alcohol abuse/dependence among the participants. The researchers also worked with trained psychologists to administer the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for mental and social disorders such as depression, social phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, among others. The researchers used SPSS and Stata to evaluate the variables. Various data were expressed in absolute and relative frequencies.
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The study found comorbidities of 7.5% of the use of other illicit drugs, 10.6% of the participants had a chronic disease, 27% had an anxiety disorder, 4.7% had a mood disorder, and 13% had reported suicide risk (Wiener et al., 2018). Alcohol dependence awas identified in 9.6% of the participants, with 5.1% prevalence among women and 15.2% prevalence among men. Alcohol dependence is prevalent among men, and so is tobacco usage, illicit drugs abuse, and anxiety and mood disorder and suicide risk.
The researcher proved the hypothesis that alcohol abuse/dependence has adverse effects on mental health, and it is frequently comorbid with mood disorders. Individuals with mood disorders often abuse alcohol in search of pleasure or to reduce the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms of depression (Archie et al., 2012). The researchers conclude that alcohol abuse/ dependence is associated with mood disorders, but they could not infer a causal relationship between the variables. The study found a high prevalence of anxiety among individuals with alcohol abuse/dependence. A comorbid diagnosis of anxiety is associated with increased alcohol use and reduced likelihood of seeking treatment (Wiener et al., 2018). The researchers conclude by asking for further attention to the issue of alcohol abuse/dependence and psychiatric disorders.
Critique
The study focused on an important topic in health. Alcohol consumption is prevalent such that it is easy to neglect the many side effects of alcohol abuse/dependence. The authors manage to achieve the objective of the study by showing that alcohol abuse/dependence is associated with higher cases of psychiatric disorders.
The study sample is 1,953 participants through cluster terrorism between June 2011 and October 2012. The researchers used a representative sample, making the results of the study valid and reliable. The researchers also seek different forms of information, including engagement in physical activities, comorbidities, mental and mood disorders, and suicide risk to show the far-reaching effects of alcohol abuse/dependence. However, the study has significant limitations that affect the conclusion of the study. Only 9.6% of the participants had alcohol dependence, while more than 90% did not have alcohol dependence/abuse. The results of the study cannot be generalized as only a small fraction of the participants (9.6%) have alcohol dependence issues. Researchers also failed to evaluate the frequency and quantity of intake of alcohol. They also failed to take into consideration former alcohol abusers and their mental/psychological health.
References
Archie, S., Kazemi, A. Z., & Akhtar-Danesh, N. (2012). Concurrent binge drinking and depression among Canadian youth: prevalence, patterns, and suicidality. Alcohol , 46 (2), 165-172.
Wiener, C. D., Moreira, F. P., Zago, A., Souza, L. M., Branco, J. C., Oliveira, J. F. D., ... & Oses, J. P. (2018). Mood disorder, anxiety, and suicide risk among subjects with alcohol abuse and/or dependence: a population-based study. Revista brasileira de psiquiatria , 40 (1), 1- 5.
