Men on antidepressants drink less often
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antidepressant medication may help depressed men cut down on their drinking, but the same may not be true of women, a new study suggests.
In a survey of more than 14,000 adults, Canadian researchers found that respondents with major depression tended to drink more than non-depressed men and women. However, this was not the case for depressed men who were on antidepressant medication.
Among women, on the other hand, those with depression drank more regardless of whether they were taking an antidepressant.
It's not clear that the medication helped depressed men cut down on their drinking, or that it failed to help women, according to the researchers. It's possible, for instance, that doctors are more likely to warn male patients against drinking while taking the drugs.
"We do not know whether antidepressants have different pharmacological effects on men and women, whether depression differs by gender, or whether the differences in the process of being treated for depression account for this discrepancy," study co-author Dr. Kathryn Graham, of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Ottawa, said in a statement.
More research is needed to see whether women and men respond to antidepressants differently, Graham and her colleagues report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
It's common for people to suffer substance abuse and other mental health problems at the same time; for instance, some people with major depression may use alcohol to "treat" their emotional problems. Some research has suggested that antidepressant medication can help these individuals reduce their drinking, at least when the alcohol dependence is not severe.
For the current study, Graham's team used data on 14,063 adults ages 18 to 76 who were interviewed about depression symptoms, drinking habits, antidepressant use and other health factors.
Overall, 5 percent of men and 10 percent of women met the criteria for major depression, and these individuals generally drank more than other study participants. Among men, however, those on antidepressants drank an average of 414 drinks over the past year, versus 579 among depressed men not on medication and 436 for non-depressed men.
Depressed women showed no difference in their drinking, regardless of their treatment.
Future studies, the researchers conclude, should confirm whether antidepressants have different effects on men's and women's drinking, or whether some other factor explains the results.
SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal, February 27, 2007.
