Connection between alcohol use and depression could aid treatment

For people with psychiatric disorders, comorbidity — or the presence of two or more disorders in a single patient — is quite common. One of the most common comorbidities is alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. In fact, people with alcohol use dependence are almost four times more likely to also have a major depressive disorder. Studies have already shown those patients tend to experience worse outcomes and higher rates of relapse after treatment, but a new study led by Michigan State University researchers may have uncovered key predictors for the combination of these disorders, information that could aid in both prevention and treatment.