Alcohol abuse as a causal risk factor of depression in rural inhabitants

Factors, associated with low self-esteem in non-depressive subjects increase individual's vulnerability to depression (causal risk factors), and factors, correlated to low self-esteem in depressive subjects make current disorder more severe (pathoplastic risk factors) (Ingham et al., 1986). In our previous study we found that alcohol dependence is a significant causal risk factor of depression. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and correlates of alcohol dependence in rural population of Udmurtia. A sample of 293 rural adult inhabitants was investigated. Alcohol dependence affected 29,7 % of population according to ICD-10. Alcohol dependence were more common in men (55,9 %) than in women (10,6 %). Other correlates were age group of 40—49, lower education, and unemployment. Twenty nine per sent of subjects with alcohol dependence had co-morbid depression.