Citation

Miller BE, Miller MN, Verhegge R, Linville HH, Pumariega AJ. J. Drug Educ. 2002; 32(1): 41-52.

Affiliation

East Tennessee State University, James Quillen College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Box 70421, Johnson City, TN 37614-0421, USA. millerb@etsu.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Baywood Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12096556

Abstract

A collegiate athlete population was surveyed for alcohol abuse as well as self-reported depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric symptoms. This study revealed that in a group of 262 athletes there were 21 percent who reported high alcohol use and problems associated with its use. Significant correlations were found between reported alcohol abuse and self-reported symptoms of depression and general psychiatric symptoms. Subjects with positive depression and psychiatric symptom ratings in the "severe" range had a significantly higher rate of alcohol abuse than subjects who had low depression and low or mild symptom ratings. Conversely, subjects reporting higher rates of alcohol misuse had more psychiatric symptoms. These findings suggest a possible causal link between psychopathology and serious alcohol abuse among college athletes. They also point to the need for routine depression and anxiety screening in college students who are typically beginning a significant exposure to alcohol.

Language: en