ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND DRINKING TRAJECTORIES IN LATER LIFE: PROSPECTIVE EVIDENCE FROM THE MIUDS STUDY

• Published in: Innovation in aging Vol. 1; no. suppl_1; p. 353
• Main Authors: Kim, S., Grella, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01.07.2017
• Subjects: Abstracts
• ISSN: 2399-5300; 2399-5300
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igx004.1291

While literature suggests the higher prevalence of anxiety disorders among older alcohol users, few studies have examined the longitudinal relationship between anxiety symptoms and alcohol consumption in later life. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of late-life anxiety symptoms on their subsequent 18-year alcohol use trajectories. Data were drawn from three waves (wave1 [1995–1996], wave2 [2004–2006], and wave3 [2013–2015]) of the MacArthur Foundation Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (n=7,108; mean age= 46.8 at baseline). Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) within the previous 12 months were assessed by using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview–Short Form (CIDI-SF) scale. The amount of alcohol use was measured as the typical number of drinks that participants had on days on which they drank during the past month. Covariates (age, gender, race, income, education, and physical health) were assessed at baseline. Latent growth curve modeling was used to identify the association between anxiety symptoms and longitudinal changes in alcohol consumption adjusting for the covariates measured at baseline. We found that individuals with higher levels of anxiety symptoms tended to have an increase in alcohol consumption over time (β=0.07, p<0.05). The results highlight the role of anxiety symptoms in determining the use of alcohol in later life. Therefore, our findings indicate that on-going efforts to improve mental health, especially symptoms of anxiety, may help older adults to reduce hazardous alcohol consumption.