[Relationship between alcohol use and depressive/anxiety symptoms among a general population: a review of literature].

Abstract

Studies of a relationship between alcohol use and depressive/anxiety symptoms among a general population are reviewed, regarding characteristics of subjects, study design, methods for evaluation of alcohol use and of psychiatric symptoms, and consideration of confounding factors, such as age and sex. The authors concluded that there could be some relationships between alcohol use and psychiatric symptoms. However, they found that there were differences in findings among the studies. There might be a possibility that an existence and forms of the relationship differ by sex and by methods for evaluation of alcohol use. The relationship among Japanese might be different from that among people in Western countries. The authors emphasize that further epidemiological studies are required and point out some conditions with which the studies should satisfy.