title: Correlates of alcohol abstinence and at-risk alcohol consumption in older adults with depression: the NESDO study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare alcohol use between depressed and nondepressed older adults, and to investigate correlates of alcohol abstinence and at-risk alcohol consumption in depressed older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons (NESDO).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 373 participants (mean [standard deviation] age: 70.6 [7.3] years; 66% women) diagnosed with a depressive disorder, and 128 nondepressed participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alcohol use was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Participants were categorized into abstainers (AUDIT score: 0), moderate drinkers (AUDIT score: 1-4), and at-risk drinkers (AUDIT score: ≥5). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed with AUDIT categories as outcome, and demographic, social, somatic, and psychological variables as determinants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The depressed group consisted of 40.2% abstainers, 40.8% moderate drinkers, and 19.0% at-risk drinkers. The depressed participants were more often abstinent and less often moderate drinkers than the nondepressed participants; they did not differ in at-risk drinking. Depressed abstainers more often used benzodiazepines but less often used antidepressants, and they had a poorer cognitive function than depressed moderate drinkers. Depressed at-risk drinkers were more often smokers and had fewer functional limitations but more severe depressive symptoms than depressed moderate drinkers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although alcohol abstinence was more common in depressed than in nondepressed older adults, 19% of depressed persons were at-risk drinkers. Because at-risk drinking is associated with more severe depression and may have a negative impact on health and treatment outcome, it is important that physicians consider alcohol use in depressed older adults.
authors.affiliation: Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.vandenberg@parnassia.nl.
authors.forename: Julia F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.affiliation: Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rob M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.affiliation: EMGO+ Institute for Care and Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Harm W J
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: van Marwijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roos C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: van der Mast
authors.affiliation: Department of Old Age Psychiatry, GGNet Center for Mental Health, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, UMC St. Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naarding
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry & Interdisciplinary Center for Psychopathology of Emotion regulation (ICPE), Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Oude Voshaar
authors.affiliation: EMGO+ Institute for Care and Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Old Age Psychiatry, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Max L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stek
authors.affiliation: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of General Practice, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter F M
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Verhaak
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Margot W M
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: de Waal
authors.affiliation: EMGO+ Institute for Care and Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Old Age Psychiatry, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hannie C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Comijs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence / Q000523:psychology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands
keywords: Abstinence; alcohol; at-risk drinking; depression; old age