Prevalence and correlates of depression and drinking behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults in a suburban emergency department

Background: Both alcohol use and depression are concerning health issues among youth. The Emergency Department (ED) is a critical location to access youth with depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Objectives: To inform future interventions in the ED, this study examined the relationship between drinking behaviors and depressive symptoms among youth seeking ED care. Methods: Youth ages 14-20 were recruited from a level-1 trauma ED located in the Midwest as part of a larger ongoing study. Participants completed an electronic screening survey, which included assessment of alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and demographic variables. Two logistic regression models were conducted to assess the relationship between depressive symptoms with alcohol consumption and specific alcohol-related consequences. Results: Among 3,659 participants, bivariate analysis indicated that individuals screening positive for depression were more likely to be female, nonwhite, receive public assistance, and report higher scores on both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Regression analyses indicated alcohol consumption, inability to stop drinking once starting, and feelings of guilt or remorse after drinking were significantly positively related to screening positive for depression. Conclusions/Importance: Current findings support use of the ED as a location for identifying youth who are experiencing co-morbid alcohol use and depressive symptoms. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of brief intervention in the ED that focuses on the co-occurrence of alcohol misuse and depressive symptoms among youth.