A recent study suggests that antidepressants might help people with alcohol use disorder avoid relapse, but only if the antidepressants effectively reduce their depression symptoms.
If the depression symptoms do not improve, these individuals might face a higher risk of returning to problematic drinking.
This study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, emphasizes the importance for doctors to closely monitor depression symptoms in people with alcohol use disorder when they prescribe antidepressants.
Alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder are common mental health issues that often appear together. Research indicates that drinking alcohol can cause changes in the brain, leading to depression symptoms and major depressive disorder.
When people stop drinking for a medium or long period, their depression symptoms usually decrease without any treatment.
However, around half of those with alcohol use disorder who show depression symptoms when they quit drinking are given antidepressants. This practice might be both costly and ineffective.
The researchers aimed to understand the connection between antidepressant medication, depression symptoms, and alcohol use in people treated for alcohol use disorder.
They proposed that antidepressants might help indirectly rather than directly. In other words, antidepressants could improve depression symptoms, which in turn, could reduce alcohol use.
The study involved 150 people aged 18 to 60 years old who had both alcohol use disorder and depression. These individuals received treatment at three residential programs in Switzerland between 2015 and 2019. These programs focused on 12-week periods of abstinence from alcohol.
Researchers collected data on whether the participants were treated with antidepressants, any changes in their depression symptoms, and the percentage of days they did not drink in the three months after they left the treatment programs.
The researchers calculated the direct, indirect, and total effects of antidepressant medication on the percentage of days without drinking in the three months post-treatment.
They found that antidepressants had a negative direct effect on abstinence three months after treatment but a positive indirect effect through reduced depression symptoms.
Participants whose depression symptoms improved with antidepressant medication reported more days of not drinking. Conversely, those who took antidepressants but did not see an improvement in their depression symptoms reported fewer days of abstinence.
This study is a secondary data analysis of a larger, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Therefore, the findings should not be seen as definitive proof of cause and effect.
The individual and group therapy provided in the treatment programs could also impact depression symptoms and abstinence, but these factors were not included in the analysis. Additionally, the findings might not apply to people outside the residential treatment setting.
The study highlights both the potential benefits and risks of using antidepressants in people with alcohol use disorder. It supports the need for personalized treatment approaches and careful clinical decision-making.
The key takeaway is that while antidepressants can be helpful, their effectiveness depends on whether they successfully reduce depression symptoms. This insight can help doctors provide better care for individuals struggling with both alcohol use disorder and depression.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health.
For more mental health information, please see recent studies about top foods to tame your stress, and Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
The research findings can be found in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
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