A comparison of alcohol measures as predictors of psychological distress in the New Zealand population

  • James Addison Foulds University of Otago Christchurch
  • J Elisabeth Wells University of Otago
  • Cameron James Lacey University of Otago Christchurch
  • Simon J Adamson University of Otago Christchurch
  • J Douglas Sellman University of Otago Christchurch
  • Roger Tony Mulder University of Otago Christchurch
Keywords: alcohol problems, psychological distress, comorbidity, alcohol consumption, alcohol use disorders identification test

Abstract

Foulds, J., Wells, J. E., Lacey, C., Adamson, S., Sellman, J.  D. & Mulder, R. (2013). A comparison of alcohol measures as predictors of psychological distress in the New Zealand population. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 2(1), 59-67.   doi: 10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.73  (http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.73)  

Aims: To compare alcohol consumption and alcohol problems measures as predictors of current psychological distress.

Design: A household survey. Logistic regression models investigated the association between alcohol measures and high psychological distress.

Setting: New Zealand population sample.

Participants: 12488 adults aged 15 and over.

Measures: Alcohol use was measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The AUDIT was separated into two component factors, the first 3 items (AUDIT-C) denoting consumption and the remaining 7 items denoting problems. Psychological distress was measured using the K10, with high psychological distress defined as a score of 12 or more.

Findings: A J-shaped association was found between AUDIT score and high psychological distress. High distress was present in 6.5% of the population, 10.1% of abstainers and 35.1% of those with AUDIT scores 20 and over. Excluding abstainers, scores on the AUDIT-C were only associated with an excess of high distress at very high consumption levels indicated by a score of 10 or more. On the problems factor, the percentage with high distress was 4.5% in drinkers scoring 0, 6.1% for scores 1-3, 9.4% for scores 4-7 and 24.1% for scores of 8 or more. Results from logistic regression models including both consumption and problems factors as predictors showed that problems were stronger predictors of psychological distress than was consumption.

Conclusions: The association between alcohol consumption and current mental health is relatively weak, except in the presence of very heavy consumption or alcohol problems.

Author Biographies

James Addison Foulds, University of Otago Christchurch

Clinical Senior Lecturer

Department of Psychological Medicine

J Elisabeth Wells, University of Otago

Professor

Department of Public Health and General Practice

University of Otago Christchurch

New Zealand

Cameron James Lacey, University of Otago Christchurch

Senior Lecturer

Department of Psychological Medicine

University of Otago Christchurch

New Zealand

Simon J Adamson, University of Otago Christchurch

Senior Lecturer

National Addiction Centre

Department of Psychological Medicine

University of Otago Christchurch

New Zealand

J Douglas Sellman, University of Otago Christchurch

Professor

National Addiction Centre

Department of Psychological Medicine

University of Otago Christchurch

New Zealand

Roger Tony Mulder, University of Otago Christchurch

Professor

Department of Psychological Medicine

University of Otago Christchurch

New Zealand

Published
2013-03-04
How to Cite
Foulds, J. A., Wells, J. E., Lacey, C. J., Adamson, S. J., Sellman, J. D., & Mulder, R. T. (2013). A comparison of alcohol measures as predictors of psychological distress in the New Zealand population. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 2(1), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.73
Section
Other Papers