title: Anxiety disorders and first alcohol use in the general population. Findings from a nationally representative sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine how early onset anxiety disorders are related to age of first alcohol use in a general population sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discrete time survival analysis was used to model the odds of first alcohol use among those with, vs without, early onset anxiety disorders. Data came from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for the effects of family history of alcohol/drug use, sex, age cohort and education, people who experienced an early onset anxiety disorder had a 27% increased odds of first alcohol use in any given year, when compared to those with no anxiety disorder. This effect was particularly strong for transitions to first alcohol use that occurred after the age of 13 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early onset anxiety disorders significantly predict first alcohol use in the general population and this relationship appears to be related to change over time. These results point to the need for developmentally appropriate and integrated prevention programs that target anxiety and alcohol use together.
authors: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: l.birrell@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Louise
authors: L
authors: Birrell
authors: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: n.newton@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Nicola C
authors: NC
authors: Newton
authors: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: m.teesson@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Maree
authors: M
authors: Teesson
authors: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: zoe.tonks@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Zoe
authors: Z
authors: Tonks
authors: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use (CREMS), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: tims@unsw.edu.au.
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Slade
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent; Age factors; Age of first drink; Age of onset; Alcohol drinking; Anxiety; Epidemiology; Substance use