Prevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Mental Health Problems Among Emergency Department Patients With High-Risk and Dependent Alcohol Use Patterns

Objective: This study reports the prevalence of co-occurring mental health problems in a large convenience sample of emergency department (ED) patients with high-risk or dependent alcohol use patterns, as well as investigates associations between sociodemographic variables with co-occurring alcohol and mental health problems. Methods: Health educators screened adult patients from 12 large Southern California hospital ED/trauma units, collecting data about alcohol use behavior, sociodemographic data, and past 30-day problems with depression, anxiety, and cognitive function. Participants (N = 1,369) scored within either high-risk (hazardous, nondependent) or severe-risk (likely dependent) alcohol use categories. Analyses examined associations between age, sex, annual family income, employment status, and race/ethnicity with past 30-day mental health problems. Results: Overall, prevalence rates of 65%, 67%, and 50% were found for past 30-day problems with depression, anxiety, and cognitive function, respectively. Lower age was associated with anxiety problems only. Female gender was strongly associated with depression and anxiety. Higher income was associated with anxiety; lower income was associated with cognitive function problems. Employment status was strongly associated with all three mental health problems, with the unemployed having about double the risk of the employed. Race was associated with both depression and anxiety. Conclusions: Results suggest that emergency department patients with high-risk drinking patterns experience high rates of depression, anxiety, and cognitive function problems. Vulnerable groups may be identified based on sociodemographic characteristics. Incorporating standardized screening for mental health problems in the emergency department may be appropriate, especially among those presenting with alcohol-related problems.