Do interventions principally targeting excessive alcohol use in young people improve depression symptoms?: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Excessive alcohol use is common in young people and is associated with a range of adverse consequences including an increased risk of depression. Alcohol interventions are known to be effective in young people, however it is not known if these interventions can also improve depression. Objective To investigate whether psychosocial interventions principally targeting excessive alcohol use in young people reduce depression symptoms compared to controls. Design We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled intervention trials, that measured depression symptoms at follow-up. We used a generic inverse variance random effect meta-analysis to pool the standardised mean difference in change in depression symptoms from baseline to follow-up between intervention and control arms. We used I2 to measure heterogeneity, the Cochrane tool for randomised trials to assess risk of bias, and Egger’s tests to assess small study bias. Data sources APA PsycNET, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase (including MEDLINE), and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for relevant studies published from inception to December 2020. Reference lists of studies were also searched, and authors contacted where articles presented insufficient data. Study eligibility criteria Intervention studies that primarily targeted existing excessive alcohol use in young people (aged 10 to 24) and assessed depression outcomes at baseline with a minimum of four-week follow-up. Results Five studies were included in the meta-analysis. Interventions targeting excessive alcohol use were associated with a reduction in depression symptoms from baseline to follow-up when compared to control, standardised mean difference = − 0.26, and 95% confidence interval [− 0.41, − 0.12], p < .001. Conclusions This study found evidence that interventions primarily targeting excessive alcohol use can reduce depression symptoms in young people. However, this finding should be taken with caution given concerns about risk of bias in all studies. More research is needed to examine whether these findings generalise beyond populations of undergraduate students primarily living in high income countries. Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020177260.

Does Reducing Alcohol Use Among People with HIV Alleviate Psychological Distress and Symptoms of Depression? A Randomized Controlled Trial in Tshwane, South Africa

“…Our finding of significant reductions in depression and psychological distress, following an intervention aimed narrowly at reducing alcohol consumption, are congruent with the results of previous longitudinal studies showing that reductions in alcohol consumption led to reductions in depressive symptoms [ 12 , 18 ]. Crucially, our data demonstrate that changes in levels of alcohol consumption are associated with reductions in depressive symptoms, supporting the hypothesis that problem drinking precipitates and/or maintains depression and psychological distress [ 14 ].…”

“…Furthermore, convincing evidence shows that the course of harmful alcohol use can be effectively altered by brief interventions, which can be feasibly implemented in primary health care settings [ 15 – 17 ]. One systematic review and meta-analysis found that interventions targeting excessive alcohol use in young people resulted in a significant reduction in depression symptoms [ 18 ], but it is unclear if this is also the case among PWH. Our study aimed to establish whether a brief intervention focused on reducing alcohol consumption among PWH who met criteria for hazardous alcohol use but not dependence has any significant effect on symptoms of depression among patients on antiretroviral therapy in Tshwane, SA.…”

Psychological aspects of rehabilitation nutrition: A position paper by the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Nutrition (secondary publication)

“…Underweight and sarcopenia are also risk factors for depression 26,27 . Excessive alcohol consumption is a risk factor for depression 28 . Consumption of ultra‐processed foods (processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, produced by industrial processes using additives such as hydrogenated oils, added sugars, flavors, emulsifiers, and preservatives) is associated with depression and depressive symptoms 29 .…”

“… 26 , 27 Excessive alcohol consumption is a risk factor for depression. 28 Consumption of ultra‐processed foods (processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, produced by industrial processes using additives such as hydrogenated oils, added sugars, flavors, emulsifiers, and preservatives) is associated with depression and depressive symptoms. 29 In adolescents, consumption of junk food (foods high in energy, salt, and fat, with an imbalance of nutrients) is associated with depression, stress, anxiety, and sleep dissatisfaction.…”