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Monday, June 2, 2008

Depressed Mood in Childhood and Subsequent Alcohol Use Through Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65(6):702-712.

Despite prior evidence supporting cross-sectional associations of depression and alcohol use disorders, there is relatively little prospective data on the temporal association between depressed mood and maladaptive drinking, particularly across extended intervals.

To assess the association between depressed mood in childhood and alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood by mood level and sex and race/ethnicity subgroups.

Cohort study of individuals observed during late childhood, early adolescence, and young adulthood.

In adjusted regression analyses among those who drank alcohol, a high level of childhood depressed mood was associated with an earlier onset and increased risk of alcohol intoxication, alcohol-related problems during late childhood and early adolescence, and development of DSM-IV alcohol dependence in young adulthood.

Early manifestations associated with possible depressive conditions in childhood helped predict and account for subsequent alcohol involvement extending across life stages from childhood through young adulthood.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: rcrum@jhsph.edu

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