Teetotallers more depressed than moderate drinkers

THE NATION’S much- maligned love affair with alcohol may not be all bad it seems after a study found people who avoided liquor altogether suffered higher rates of depression and were more likely to lack certain social skills.

The research, carried out by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and published in the latest issue of the Addiction Journal, analysed the drinking habits and mental health of more than 38,000 individuals. It found that those who reported drinking no alcohol over a two-week period were more likely to report symptoms of depression than moderate drinkers. Those who labelled themselves as “abstainers” had the highest risk of depression, even higher than those who drank too much alcohol.

While factors such as age, physical health and number of friends could explain some of the increased risk, it could not explain all of the increased risk, the report said. Even when the 14 per cent teetotallers who had quit drinking because of problems with alcohol were excluded, the link between abstinence and depression remained.

The happiest people were those who averaged two glasses of wine, a bottle of beer, or a shot of spirits a week.

One reason why teetotallers suffered a higher risk of depression and anxiety might be because they had fewer friends, the report suggested. In western societies where alcohol use is the norm, abstinence might be associated with being socially marginalised or with personality traits associated with mental illness, researchers said.

“We see that this group is less socially well-adjusted than other groups,” according to research leader Dr Eystein Stordal, from the Norwegian university.

However, the charity, Alcohol Action Ireland, warned that alcohol-related disorders accounted for a third of admissions to Irish psychiatric hospitals in 1996-2005. It also said a recent study of suicide deaths found that more than half of victims had alcohol in their blood at the time of death.

Spokeswoman Fiona Ryan said: “A more in-depth look at the survey shows that heavy drinkers and teetotallers are at risk of anxiety and depression not just teetotallers alone. What the researchers do say is that the happiest individuals are those who averaged a couple of drinks a week, in other words around two to three units.” Unfortunately, average alcohol consumption in Ireland is much higher than that, she said.