Drinking doesn't cheer you up

Source: Agencies | March 4, 2009, Wednesday |

Print Edition

EXCESS alcohol may increase the risk of depression, a long-term study conducted over 25 years in New Zealand has found.

The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, involved a group of 1,055 children who were monitored and interviewed at various times over 25 years.

"At all ages, there were clear and statistically significant trends for alcohol abuse or dependency to be associated with increased risk of major depression," wrote the researchers, led by David Fergusson of the University of Otago's department of psychological medicine.

The study found 19.4 percent of the participants between 17 and 18 were either abusing or dependent on alcohol, and 18.2 percent were diagnosed with depression.

"Individuals who fulfilled the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependency were 1.9 times more likely to also fulfil the criteria for major depression," the researchers wrote.

The link between the two was significant even after factoring in other possible causes, such as drug use, unemployment and a partner who committed crimes.

"It has been proposed that this link may arise from genetic processes in which the use of alcohol acts to trigger genetic markers that increase the risk of major depression," the researchers said.

World

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

Drinking doesn't cheer you up

Email this to your friend