Teen depression linked to adult binge drinking, especially in high-income youth

Binge drinking during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood remains a significant public health concern. Mental health symptoms may be associated with increased risk for binge drinking, and the strength of this association might vary across subgroups. This study examines whether adolescent anxiety and depression predict young adult binge drinking and whether these associations vary by race/ethnicity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status (SES). Using data from the Happiness & Health Study (N = 2,006), negative binomial models examined whether adolescent anxiety and depression predicted young adult binge drinking Models controlled for age, gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, SES, baseline binge drinking, and cannabis/nicotine use history. Interaction terms tested moderation by race/ethnicity, sexuality, and SES. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with an increase in binge drinking (incident rate ratio = 1.013; 95% CI = 1.001, 1.024), whereas anxiety symptoms were not significantly associated with binge drinking. Moderation analyses revealed depressive symptoms associations varied by sexuality and SES, while anxious symptoms associations varied by race/ethnicity and sexuality. Notably, the association between anxiety and binge drinking was strongest among gay/lesbian individuals compared to other sexuality groups. The association between depression and binge drinking was strongest among high SES individuals compared to low SES. The association between anxiety and binge drinking was strongest among White individuals compared to Hispanics. These results highlight the importance of addressing adolescent mental health in interventions aimed at reducing binge drinking in emerging adulthood. The observed moderation effects emphasize the need for targeted interventions.