Citation

Romero M, Mondragon L, Cherpitel CJ, Medina-Mora ME, Borges GLG. Salud Publica Mex. 2001; 43(6): 537-543.

Affiliation

Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Dirección de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Sociales, Calzada México-Xochimilco 101, colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Tlalpan, 14370 México, D.F., México. romerom@imp.edu.mx

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11816228

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the demographic characteristics and psychological differences in a sample of female heavy and non-heavy drinkers who attended three emergency services of the Mexican city of Pachuca, Hidalgo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of patients seen at emergency services (ES) patients over the age of 18 was selected using ES admission forms. Twenty-five-minute, face-to-face interviews were conducted by a group of trained interviewers. Patients answered various questionnaires and scales to measure alcohol consumption and to provide information on variables that have proved to be related to female drinking. RESULTS: Thirty-six women (5.2%) out of 717 of the total number of women were found to be heavy drinkers according to the TWEAK scale. This group of women had 2.3 times the risk of becoming depressed, 2.87 times the risk of taking other drugs, 1.95 times the likelihood of having been sexually abused and 1.57 times the risk of displaying suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Data from this small analysis confirm international findings that problem drinking among females throughout the life cycle is linked to depression. As regards the screening instruments employed, it is necessary to conduct more in-depth research to enrich their contents and increase their reliability and validity when used among female populations. In this study, the TWEAK proved to be extremely useful for studies in emergency services.