Lareina N. La Flair

A Prospective Assessment of Reports of Drinking to Self-medicate Mood Symptoms With the Incidence and Persistence of Alcohol Dependence

IMPORTANCE Mood disorders and alcohol dependence frequently co-occur. Etiologic theories concerning the comorbidity often focus on drinking to self-medicate or cope with affective symptoms. However, there have been few, if any, prospective studies in population-based samples of alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms with the occurrence of alcohol dependence. Furthermore, it is not known whether these associations are affected by treatment or symptom severity. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the hypothesis that alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms increases the probability of subsequent onset and the persistence or chronicity of alcohol dependence. DESIGN Prospective study using face-to-face interviews-the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. SETTING Nationally representative survey of the US population. PARTICIPANTS Drinkers at risk for alcohol dependence among the 43 093 adults surveyed in 2001 and 2002 (wave 1); 34 653 of whom were reinterviewed in 2004 and 2005 (wave 2). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Association of alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms with incident and persistent DSM-IV alcohol dependence using logistic regression and the propensity score method of inverse probability of treatment weighting. RESULTS The report of alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms was associated with an increased odds of incident alcohol dependence at follow-up (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.10; 95% CI, 1.55-6.19; P = .002) and persistence of dependence (AOR, 3.45; 95% CI, 2.35-5.08; P < .001). The population-attributable fraction was 11.9% (95% CI, 6.7%-16.9%) for incident dependence and 30.6% (95% CI, 24.8%-36.0%) for persistent dependence. Stratified analyses were conducted by age, sex, race/ethnicity, mood symptom severity, and treatment history for mood symptoms. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Drinking to alleviate mood symptoms is associated with the development of alcohol dependence and its persistence once dependence develops. These associations occur among individuals with subthreshold mood symptoms, with DSM-IV affective disorders, and for those who have received treatment. Drinking to self-medicate mood symptoms may be a potential target for prevention and early intervention efforts aimed at reducing the occurrence of alcohol dependence.

Reports of drinking to self-medicate anxiety symptoms: longitudinal assessment for subgroups of individuals with alcohol dependence.

Self‐medication with alcohol is frequently hypothesized to explain anxiety and alcohol dependence comorbidity. Yet, there is relatively little assessment of drinking to self‐medicate anxiety and its association with the occurrence or persistence of alcohol dependence in population‐based longitudinal samples, or associations within demographic and clinical subgroups.

Intimate partner violence and abuse among female nurses and nursing personnel: Prevalence and risk factors

This study examines the prevalence and risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) and intimate partner abuse (IPA) against female nurses and nursing personnel (n == 1981). Data were collected through online surveys conducted at three hospitals and one geriatric care center in a Mid-Atlantic US metropolitan area. Lifetime physical or sexual IPV was reported by 25%% of participants and 22.8%% reported experiencing lifetime emotional abuse by an intimate partner. Logistic regression analyses identified independent variables statistically related to IPV and IPA, including increased age, having children, not being married, and experiences of childhood abuse. Implications for women in the workplace are discussed.

Intimate Partner Violence/Abuse and Depressive Symptoms among Female Health Care Workers: Longitudinal Findings

Intimate partner violence and abuse (IPV/A) have been shown to have a major impact on mental health functioning. This study assessed the longitudinal association between recent IPV/A and depressive symptoms to identify potential targets for preventive interventions for women. Random effects models were used to examine four waves of data collected at 6-month intervals from a cohort of 1,438 female health care workers. IPV/A (e.g., sexual and physical violence, psychological abuse) in the past 5 years was associated with higher Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) 10 scores across four waves after adjustment for age, time, marital status, and childhood trauma. Women who reported IPV/A in the past 5 years had higher CES-D 10 scores (β, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-1.82; p < .0001) than nonabused women. This association was generally constant with time, suggestive of a cross-sectional association across all four waves of data. Additionally, recent IPV/A was associated with change in depressive symptoms over time among the full cohort and those with CES-D 10 scores below 10 (the threshold for likely depression) at baseline. Recent IPV/A was independently associated with depressive symptoms both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The longitudinal association was stronger among those not depressed at baseline. Implications for health care settings and workplace policies addressing IPV/A are discussed.

Gender and race/ethnicity differences for initiation of alcohol-related service use among persons with alcohol dependence

BACKGROUND Prior studies on treatment for alcohol-related problems have yielded mixed results with respect to gender and race/ethnicity disparities. Additionally, little is known about gender and racial differences in time to first alcohol-related service contact amongst persons with alcohol dependence. This study explored gender and race/ethnicity differences for first alcohol-related service utilization in a population-based sample. METHODS Primary analyses were restricted to Blacks, Whites and Hispanics, ages 18-44, with lifetime alcohol dependence (n=3311) in Wave 1 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. We compared time to service use among men and women within and across race/ethnicity strata using multivariable Cox proportional hazard methods. RESULTS In the sample of individuals age <45 with alcohol dependence, only 19.5% reported alcohol-related service use. Overall, women were less likely than men to receive alcohol-related services in their lifetime. However, women who did receive treatment were younger at first service utilization and had a shorter interval between drinking onset and service use than men. Gender differences were consistent across racial/ethnic groups but only statistically significant for Whites. There were no appreciable race/ethnicity differences in hazard ratios for alcohol-related service use or time from drinking initiation to first service contact. Results of sensitivity analyses for persons ≥45 years old are discussed. CONCLUSIONS There are important gender differences in receipt of and time from drinking initiation to service utilization among persons with alcohol dependence. Increased recognition of these differences may promote investigation of factors underlying differences and identification of barriers to services.

Childhood abuse and neglect and transitions in stages of alcohol involvement among women: A latent transition analysis approach

BACKGROUND Childhood abuse and neglect have been linked with alcohol disorders in adulthood yet less is known about the potential of early trauma to influence transitions in stages of alcohol involvement among women. Study aims were to (1) identify stages of womens alcohol involvement, (2) examine the probability of transitions between stages, and (3) investigate the influence of four domains of childhood abuse and neglect (sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and witness to domestic violence), assessed individually and as poly-victimization, on transitions. METHODS The sample consisted of 11,750 adult female current drinkers identified in Wave 1 (2001-2002) and re-interviewed in Wave 2 (2004-2005) of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. RESULTS Three stages of alcohol involvement emerged from latent class analysis of 11 DSM-IV abuse/dependence criteria: severe (1.5% at Wave 1, 1.9% at Wave 2), hazardous (13.6% at Wave 1, 16.0% at Wave 2), and non-problem drinking (82.1% at Wave 1, 84.5% at Wave 2). Adjusted latent transition analyses determined transition probabilities between stages across waves. Women reporting any childhood abuse and neglect were more likely to advance from the non-problem drinking class at Wave 1 to severe (AOR=3.90, 95% CI=1.78-8.53) and hazardous (AOR=1.56, 95% CI=1.22-2.01) drinking classes at Wave 2 relative to women without this history. Associations were also observed between individual domains and transition from no problems to severe alcohol stage. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest a long-term impact of childhood abuse and neglect as drivers of progression in womens alcohol involvement.

Testing Posttraumatic Stress as a Mediator of Childhood Trauma and Adult Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

This study examined whether potential posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mediated the relationships between different forms of childhood trauma (sexual abuse, physical abuse, violence between caregivers) and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization (psychological, physical, sexual). Participants were 1,150 female nurses and nursing personnel. Path analytic findings revealed potential PTSD partially mediated the relationships between childhood sexual abuse and psychological IPV and childhood sexual abuse and sexual IPV. Potential PTSD did not mediate the relationship between other types of childhood trauma and IPV. This study adds to the literature indicating PTSD as a risk factor for revictimization in the form of adult IPV among women. Screening for and treatment of PTSD among female child sexual abuse survivors could prevent future IPV victimization.

Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Anxiety Disorders: A National Survey

Objective: The goal of this study was to describe onset of comorbid anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence based on a large national survey of the U.S. adult population and to explore and describe these patterns by gender. Methods: Using Wave 1 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) data, we compared age at onset and temporal ordering of onset of comorbid alcohol dependence and anxiety disorders. Analyses were stratified by gender. Mean ages at onset were calculated, and Wald F-tests were used to assess differences in ages at onset, accounting for the complex survey design of the NESARC. Weighted estimates were used, adjusted to be representative of the U.S. population on various sociodemographic variables based on the 2000 Decennial Census. Results: Differences in temporal ordering were observed but varied by disorder combination. The majority (65%) had a primary (earliest onset) anxiety disorder, while the remaining 35% had a primary alcohol dependence diagnosis. Age at onset for some individuals with an anxiety disorder comorbid with alcohol dependence was earlier than for those with an anxiety disorder alone. Among individuals with comorbid social phobia and alcohol dependence and with comorbid specific phobia and alcohol dependence, it was more common to experience anxiety disorder as the primary diagnosis. Conversely, among individuals with comorbid panic disorder and alcohol dependence and with generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol dependence, it was more common to experience alcohol dependence as the primary diagnosis. Women were more likely to report having multiple comorbid anxiety disorders. No gender differences were found in terms of age at onset or temporal ordering of onset of comorbid disorders. Conclusions: Subsets of individuals with comorbid disorders exist, some whose primary diagnosis is alcohol dependence, and a majority of individuals whose primary diagnosis is an anxiety disorder with significant variability in age and temporal ordering of onset and few gender differences. Improved understanding of patterns of comorbidity and lag time between the onsets of specific disorders may enable us to identify potential groups for early intervention.

The relation of medical conditions to depressive symptoms among Latinos: leisure time physical activity as a mediator.

Individuals with medical conditions report more depressive symptoms than those without such conditions. This study assessed whether physical activity (PA) plays a mediational role in the association between medical conditions and depressive symptoms among Latino adults. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors, those who reported having been diagnosed with diabetes, cardio-related disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, or sleep problems endorsed more symptoms of depression. Vigorous PA mediated the relation between depressive symptoms and hypertension. In other words, people with hypertension who engaged in vigorous PA reported less depressive symptoms. PA may be a promising avenue for improving hypertension and depressive symptoms.

Sexual Assault and Disordered Eating in Asian Women

The link between sexual assault and disordered eating has yet to be clarified, especially for ethnic minority populations. Asian women, in particular, report low rates of both sexual assault and eating disorders compared to their Western counterparts, and studies suggest that these rates may be conservative. The literature indicates that there are cultural attitudes that contribute to non- and underreporting of sexual assault by Asian women and that these sociocultural factors may have an important role in the development of eating disorders as a response to sexual victimization. Research illustrates a relationship between sexual assault and eating disorders; eating disorders may serve as coping mechanisms for survivors of sexual assault by providing a mechanism for comfort, numbing, and distracting in an effort to rid the painful feelings in response to the assault. To stimulate future research, this article reviews the current literature on the development of eating disorders following a sexual assault and on the sociocultural factors linking both phenomena in Asian women, and offers avenues for investigation to increase our understanding of these relationships.