[A study of drinking habits of rural middle and old aged residents in Ibaraki Prefecture--relationship between problem drinking, depression and personality (Part 1). On male subjects].
Although there has been considerable research conducted regarding the relationship between alcohol dependency and clinical depression, there have been few reports which have investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and depression in the general populace of residents of rural communities in Japan. We investigated this correlation in a rural community located in Ibaraki Prefecture, the findings of which are described in this report. The subjects of this investigation were residents of the southern part of the town of K in Ibaraki Prefecture age 40 and over, all of whom had participated in a medical examination program. With respect to the men surveyed, the proportions of problem drinkers and severe problem drinkers were 10.4% and 25.7%, respectively. According to the results we obtained with respect to correlation with personality, problem drinkers were found most frequently in shut-in personality types (37.5%). In regard to the correlation with depression, 7% of the problem drinkers and severe problem drinkers exhibited an SDS score of 50 or higher. In addition, the non-drinking group demonstrated a significantly higher degree of depression in comparison to the normal drinker and severe problem drinker groups.
Satoh
S
S
Department of Mental Hygine, University of Tsukuba.
Shouji
M
M
Senoh
E
E
Naitoh
S
S
Tomita
H
H
Kamijyo
H
H
Hara
J
J
Konishi
T
T
Oda
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012423:Rural Health