Association between Alcohol Consumption and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hospital and Ambulatory Care Patients with Past Year Depressive Symptoms

Kristian Krause (), Diana Guertler, Anne Moehring, Anil Batra, Sandra Eck, Hans-Jürgen Rumpf, Gallus Bischof, Maresa Buchholz, Ulrich John and Christian Meyer
Additional contact information
Kristian Krause: Evangelic Hospital Bethania, Gützkower Landstraße 69, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Diana Guertler: Department of Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 48, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
Anne Moehring: Department of Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 48, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
Anil Batra: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tübingen, Geissweg 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Sandra Eck: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tübingen, Geissweg 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Hans-Jürgen Rumpf: Research Group S:TEP, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23583 Lübeck, Germany
Gallus Bischof: Research Group S:TEP, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23583 Lübeck, Germany
Maresa Buchholz: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Rostock/Greifswald, Ellernholzstraße 1-2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Ulrich John: Department of Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 48, 17475 Greifswald, Germany
Christian Meyer: Department of Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 48, 17475 Greifswald, Germany

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Little is known about how substance use affects health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in depressed individuals. Here, associations between alcohol consumption and HRQOL in hospital and ambulatory care patients with past-year depressive symptoms are analyzed. Method: The sample consisted of 590 participants (26.8% non-drinkers) recruited via consecutive screenings. Individuals with alcohol use disorders were excluded. HRQOL was assessed with the Veterans Rand 12-item health survey (VR-12). Multivariable fractional polynomials (MFP) regression analyses were conducted (1) to test for non-linear associations between average daily consumption and HRQOL and (2) to analyze associations between alcohol consumption and the physical and mental health component summaries of the VR-12 and their subdomains. Results: Alcohol consumption was positively associated with the physical health component summary of the VR-12 ( p = 0.001) and its subdomains general health ( p = 0.006), physical functioning ( p < 0.001), and bodily pain ( p = 0.017), but not with the mental health component summary ( p = 0.941) or any of its subdomains. Average daily alcohol consumption was not associated with HRQOL. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption was associated with better physical HRQOL. Findings do not justify ascribing alcohol positive effects on HRQOL. Data indicate that non-drinkers may suffer from serious health disorders. The results of this study can inform the development of future alcohol- and depression-related interventions.

Keywords: depression; alcohol consumption; health-related quality of life; VR-12; intervention development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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