Alcohol and depression: a deleterious association
Alcohol and depression are commonly linked, concerning about 10% of the French population. And it is still unclear what is the cause and what the consequence of these two medical entities, like the old chicken and hen issue.
However, irrespective of this issue, this comorbid association has proven to alter the prognosis of alcohol abuse disorders and reduce the likelihood of alcohol withdrawal, while simultaneously diminishing the prognosis of the associated depression. Of note, this association gas has proven to be associated with a higher number of suicide-related death cases.
Considering the management of this comorbid association, it has been revealed to be rather complex. The current recommendations propose to treat alcohol withdrawal first prior to tackling the depressive mood disorder, based on the observation that if the patients don’t stop excessive alcohol drinking, their depression is most likely to worsen. In clinical routine, however, most practitioners attempt to tackle both clinical conditions simultaneously.
The therapeutic approach of this deleterious association does not only consist of antidepressant medication prescriptions but must also include different psychotherapeutic approaches. With all this in mind, it must be stressed that caution is warranted with certain drugs. Several drugs used in managing alcohol dependence, such as baclofen, have been shown able to induce depressive episodes. Therefore, these drugs must be prescribed with great caution.
https://francais.medscape.com/voirarticle/3605341
Reference: Alcoolodépendance et dépression : une « pathologie duelle » complexe. Medscape, 21 oct 2019.