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Subgroup analyses by baseline alcohol consumption of 3-year psychotropic and opioid use and healthcare utilization in patients treated for depression

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This three-year follow-up study on secondary subgroups embedded in a Swedish randomized controlled trial, Regassa, investigated whether hazardous alcohol consumption influences health care utilization and use of psychotropics and opioids among patients with depression who received treatment for depression but no intervention targeting alcohol use. The cohort of 929 patients was divided into patients reporting hazardous and patients reporting non-hazardous alcohol consumption. Three-year follow-up, registry data on primary and specialized care utilization, as well as dispensed psychotropic and opioid medication were added. Differences in prevalence between the groups were analysed using Prevalence Proportion Ratios and differences in the number of consultations were analyzed using Poisson regression. Medication dispenses and defined daily doses (DDD) were analyzed with a two-step model (1) logistic regression presented as odds ratios (OR) (2) negative binomial regression, presented as incidence rate ratios (IRR). Most participants were women and hazardous alcohol use was reported by 22%, predominantly men. Patients reporting hazardous consumption seemed more likely to be prescribed psychotropics despite fewer health care visits, but among users there were no differences between the groups regarding the amount of medication. Over time, there was a tendency they had lower levels of prescribed opioids and less visits for pain diagnosis. Patients with hazardous alcohol consumption and concurrent depression seem to be prescribed psychotropics more often. These findings may be relevant for clinicians in health care settings when assessing patients with depression to also screen for alcohol consumption and pain and offer tailored and effective interventions.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-76635-1

Authors: Catharina Strid, Andreas Lundin, Yvonne Forsell, Agneta Öjehagen

Institutions: Lund University, Karolinska Institutet

Language: English

Topic: Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,690