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Citation
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Erickson J, El-Gabalawy R, Palitsky D, Patten S, Mackenzie CS, Stein MB, Sareen J. Depress. Anxiety 2016; 33(11): 1013-1022. |
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Affiliation
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Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between educational attainment and psychiatric disorders (i.e., mood, anxiety, substance use, and personality disorders) using a nationally representative survey of US adults.
METHOD: We used data from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 34,653). Bivariate and multiple logistic regressions examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between educational attainment and a variety of past-year and incident anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders, controlling for sociodemographics and psychiatric disorder comorbidity.
RESULTS: Adjusted cross-sectional data indicated that educational attainment below a graduate or professional degree at Wave 2 was associated with significantly higher odds of substance use and/or dependence disorders (adjusted odds ratio range (AORR = 1.55-2.55, P < 0.001). Longitudinal adjusted regression analyses indicated that individuals reporting less than a college education at Wave 1 were at significantly higher odds of experiencing any incident mood (AORR 1.49-1.64, P < 0.01), anxiety (AORR 1.35-1.69, P < 0.01), and substance use disorder (AORR 1.50-2.02, P < 0.01) at Wave 2 even after controlling for other sociodemographic variables and psychiatric comorbidity.
CONCLUSION: Findings lend support to other published research demonstrating that educational attainment is protective against developing a spectrum of psychiatric disorders. Mechanisms underlying this relationship are speculative and in need of additional research.
© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Language: en |