Alcohol Use Predicts 10-Year Depressive Symptom Trajectories in the Health and Retirement Study

Objective: To determine effects of late-middle-aged adults' baseline drinking behavior on their subsequent 10-year depressive symptom trajectories.

Method: Health and Retirement Study participants (N = 7,939) were assessed on baseline demographic, health, and drinking characteristics, and biennially assessed for the next 10 years on their depressive symptoms.

Results: Growth mixture modeling generated four classes of depressive symptom trajectories: Consistently low (72%), consistently elevated (6%), increasing (12%), and decreasing (10%). Baseline abstinence from alcohol, possibly enforced by poorer health and a history of drinking problems, and heavier drinking, "binge" drinking, and having a history of drinking problems, raised risk of membership in the "consistently elevated" class. Abstinence by participants without history of drinking problems-and light, moderate, and heavier drinking-protected against membership in the "increasing" class. Abstinence by participants without history of drinking problems elevated-and moderate drinking reduced-likelihood of membership in the "decreasing" class.

Discussion: Late-middle-aged adults' alcohol use is associated with the subsequent long-term course of their depressive symptoms.