Motivating drinking behavior change: Depressive symptoms may not be noxious

Depression often hinders behavior change among people who abuse alcohol; it adversely affects self-efficacy and is associated with poor outcomes. However, the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model suggests that personal discomfort, namely if the costs of drinking outweigh the benefits, may lead to behavior change. Often such alcohol-related consequences are associated with depression. Seventy-five alcohol-abusing participants, ages 18–50, completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Losses Of Significance Self-report Questionnaire-Revised (LOSS-QR), Situational Confidence Questionnaire-42 (SCQ-42), the Brief Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RTC), and the Steady Pattern Chart (SP) at baseline and again 3 months later. BDI scores were significantly associated with all three RTC stage scores. LOSS-QR scores significantly predicted BDI scores but SCQ-42 scores did not. Interestingly, BDI scores did not predict changes in drinking rates over time. Greater levels of depressive symptoms, perhaps associated with awareness of negative drinking consequences, may promote rather than hinder motivation to change drinking behavior among people.