A comparative study to assess drinking expectancy and functioning in alcohol dependent patients with and without co-morbid depression

Background: Alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) and major depressive disorder are highly prevalent. Much less is known about the expectancy of alcohol use in depressed patients with ADS. Few studies had compared the expectancy of alcohol use in ADS patients with and without co-morbid depression. Assessing the above factors may help to formulate effective prevention strategies. This study was designed to assess the difference in expectancy of alcohol use and functioning in patients with ADS with and without co-morbid depression.Methods: The difference in expectancy of alcohol use in 96 alcohol dependent patients, of which 24 had co-morbid depression and 72 without co-morbid depression was studied using drinking expectancy questionnaire. In addition, we compared the difference in functioning between the two groups using GAF.Results: Prevalence of depression in alcohol dependent patients was 25%. ADS patients with co-morbid depression had less expectancy about alcohol use for sexual enhancement and had lower level of functioning compared to ADS patients without depression.Conclusions: Less expectancy on sexual enhancement in patients with ADS and co-morbid depression could be possibly due to reduced libido in depressed patients. The observed lower functioning in ADS patients with co-morbid depression despite no difference in severity of alcohol use may be possibly explained by the added burden of both the diseases.

How Do the Drinking Motives and Expectancies Relate to Drinking Problems among University Students? / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated how the alcohol drinking motives and alcohol drinking expectancies, as the internal factors, would relate to university students' alcohol drinking problems. METHODS: The general characteristics, the alcohol drinking problems, the motives to drink, and drinking expectancy were surveyed with 197 university students (106 males, 91 females) who visited the Health Center of Chungnam National University. RESULTS: The alcohol drinking amount per drink (P < 0.001), weekly alcohol drinking frequency (P < 0.001), alcohol drinking problem score (P < 0.001), the score of drinking expectancy (P < 0.001) and motives to drink for each domain (P < 0.05) for male students were significantly higher or larger than those of the female students. The distribution of the number of binge, heavy and at risk drinkers didn't show significant difference between sexes. The drinking problem score, the score of drinking expectancy and motives to drink for each domain showed significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation and male students displayed a higher positive correlation than that of female. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence on drinking problem score. The male students' drinking problem score was associated with the score of coping motive, lower grade, the score of enhancement motive and drinking expectancy (R2, 0.325; P < 0.05) whereas those of female students were related to the score of social and coping motive (R2, 0.477; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The common factor that related to drinking problem for both male and female students was the coping motive to resolve negative feeling. In addition, the enhancement motive and drinking expectancy in male students and the social motive in female students were the associated factors.

How Do the Drinking Motives and Expectancies Relate to Drinking Problems among University Students? / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated how the alcohol drinking motives and alcohol drinking expectancies, as the internal factors, would relate to university students' alcohol drinking problems. METHODS: The general characteristics, the alcohol drinking problems, the motives to drink, and drinking expectancy were surveyed with 197 university students (106 males, 91 females) who visited the Health Center of Chungnam National University. RESULTS: The alcohol drinking amount per drink (P < 0.001), weekly alcohol drinking frequency (P < 0.001), alcohol drinking problem score (P < 0.001), the score of drinking expectancy (P < 0.001) and motives to drink for each domain (P < 0.05) for male students were significantly higher or larger than those of the female students. The distribution of the number of binge, heavy and at risk drinkers didn't show significant difference between sexes. The drinking problem score, the score of drinking expectancy and motives to drink for each domain showed significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation and male students displayed a higher positive correlation than that of female. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence on drinking problem score. The male students' drinking problem score was associated with the score of coping motive, lower grade, the score of enhancement motive and drinking expectancy (R2, 0.325; P < 0.05) whereas those of female students were related to the score of social and coping motive (R2, 0.477; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The common factor that related to drinking problem for both male and female students was the coping motive to resolve negative feeling. In addition, the enhancement motive and drinking expectancy in male students and the social motive in female students were the associated factors.

Effects of Psychosocial Factors and the Genotypes of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase II and Tryptophan Hydroxylase on the Alcohol Use in Freshmen of a University / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was done to investigate the genetic polymorphism of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) II and Tryptophan Hydroxylase (TPH) and examine effects of socio-demographic, psychological and genetic factors on the alcohol use in freshmen of a university in Korea. METHODS: ALDH II (N=534) and TPH (N=504) genotypes of 551 subjects were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The severity of alcohol drinking was assessed by average alcohol use per drinking episode and frequency of drinking per month. Characteristics of alcohol related behaviors, socio-demographic information, and motives and expectancies of drinking in the subjects, were assessed by designed questionnaires and selfreport scales. RESULTS: The frequencies of NN, ND, and DD genotype of ALDH II (N=534) were 64.0%, 30.1%, and 5.8%, while those of AA, AC, and CC genotypes of TPH (N=504) were 31.7%, 48.4%, 19.8% respectively. The distribution of ALDH II genotypes was not correlated with that of TPH genotypes. Subjects with D (-) (NN) genotype showed more average alcohol use per drinking episode (chi2 trend=29.42, p=0.001) and higher severity index of alcohol drinking (F=9.36, df=2, p=0.000) compared with those with D (+) (ND or DD) genotypes. Subjects with D (-) genotype showed higher frequency of heavy drinking behavior (chi2 trend=5.25, p=0.022) and blackout episode (chi2 trend=17.84, p=0.001). Socio-demographic, psychological, and genetic factors seemed to contribute to the severity of alcohol drinking in the subjects. CONCLUSIONS: C allele of TPH genotypes is important in determining the severity of drinking in subjects with NN genotype of ALDH II. Social motive, gender, and D allele of ALDH II genotype are contributing factors to determine the severity of drinking in total subjects. D allele of ALDH II genotypes plays an important role in determining the severity and motives of drinking, and other alcoholrelated behaviors.