Changes in alcohol consumption screens completed in routine care are associated with parallel changes in depression screening results, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research. Kevin A. Hallgren, PhD, and colleagues examined associations between changes in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption version (AUDIT-C) scores and changes in depression symptoms captured in brief screens completed in routine care. The analysis included 198,335 primary care patients who completed two AUDIT-C screens and Patient Health Questionnaire- 2 depression screens 11 to 24 months apart. Subgroups with higher AUDIT-C risk generally had higher rates of positive depression screens (risk ratios [RRs] from 0.95-2.00). Decreases in AUDIT-C risk categories were generally associated with decreases in the prevalence of positive depression screens (RRs from 0.52-1.01). Similarly, patient subgroups with no changes in AUDIT-C risk categories experienced little or no change in the prevalence of positive depression screens (RRs from 0.98-1.15).
