Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Drinking patterns, psychological distress and quality of life in a Norwegian general population-based sample

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible relationships between drinking patterns, psychological distress and quality of life (QoL) in a general population-based sample in Norway.

Methods

A random sample of 4,000 Norwegian citizens, aged 18 to 79, was drawn from the National Register held by Statistics Norway.

Results

Males consumed significantly more alcohol and reported more drinking-related problems with more negative consequences, compared to females. Psychological distress increased, and all QoL domain scores decreased with increasing alcohol consumption within the group drinking alcohol at all. The excessive drinkers demonstrated the highest level of psychological distress and lowest QoL in the psychological, social relationships and environment domains. Non-drinkers reported to have poorest QoL in the physical health domain, whereas light and moderate drinkers demonstrated lowest psychological distress and best QoL. Psychological distress demonstrated substantial more importance for QoL than socio-demographic variables, alcohol consumption, alcohol dependency and negative consequences of alcohol use did.

Conclusion

The findings indicate the need for a focus on psychological distress and its negative impact upon all QoL domains. Attention should also be paid to excessive drinkers who have poor QoL (psychological, social relationships and environment domains) and a high level of psychological distress. In addition, non-drinkers reported poor physical health. Further research is needed concerning the relation between alcohol consumption, psychological distress and QoL both in general population studies and in more specific samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anderson, P., & Baumberg, B. (2006). Alcohol in Europe (pp. 1–432). London: Institute of Alcohol Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ministry of Health and Care Services. (2008). Opptrappingsplan for rusfeltet. http://www.regjeringen.no/Upload/HOD/Dokumenter%20FHA/Opptr.plan.pdf Accessed 3 May 2011.

  3. Statistics Norway. (2008). Alkoholforbruk per innbygger 15 år og over. http://www.ssb.no/magasinet/slik_lever_vi/tab-2008-06-04-01.html Accessed 3 May 2011.

  4. Room, R., Babor, T., & Rehm, J. (2005). Alcohol and public health. Lancet, 365(9458), 519–530.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Corrao, G., Bagnardi, V., Zambon, A., & La Vecchia, C. (2004). A meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and the risk of 15 diseases. Preventive Medicine, 38(5), 613–619.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sullivan, E. V., & Pfefferbaum, A. (2005). Neurocircuitry in alcoholism: A substrate of disruption and repair. Psychopharmacology, 180(4), 583–594.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Prat, G., Adan, A., Perez-Pamies, M., & Sanchez-Turet, M. (2008). Neurocognitive effects of alcohol hangover. Addictive Behaviors, 33(1), 15–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Saarni, S. I., Joutsenniemi, K., Koskinen, S., Suvisaari, J., Pirkola, S., Sintonen, H., et al. (2008). Alcohol consumption, abstaining, health utility, and quality of life—A general population survey in Finland. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 43(3), 376–386.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Jarl, J., Johansson, P., Eriksson, A., Eriksson, M., Gerdtham, U. G., Hemstrom, O., et al. (2007) The societal cost of alcohol consumption: An estimation of the economic and human cost including health effects in Sweden, 2002. The European Journal of Health Economics. doi:10.1007/s10198-007-0082-1.

  10. Zaloshnja, E., Miller, T. R., Hendrie, D., & Galvin, D. (2007). Employer costs of alcohol-involved injuries. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 50(2), 136–142.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Di Castelnuovo, A., Costanzo, S., Bagnardi, V., Donati, M. B., Iacoviello, L., & de Gaetano, G. (2006). Alcohol dosing and total mortality in men and women: An updated meta-analysis of 34 prospective studies. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(22), 2437–2445.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. da Silva Lima, A. F., Fleck, M., Pechansky, F., de Boni, R., & Sukop, P. (2005). Psychometric properties of the World Health Organization quality of life instrument (WHOQoL-BREF) in alcoholic males: A pilot study. Quality of Life Research, 14(2), 473–478.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ginieri-Coccossis, M., Liappas, I. A., Tzavellas, E., Triantafillou, E., & Soldatos, C. (2007). Detecting changes in quality of life and psychiatric symptomatology following an in-patient detoxification programme for alcohol-dependent individuals: The use of WHOQOL-100. International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Pathophysiology and Drug Research, 21(1), 99–106.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Donovan, D., Mattson, M. E., Cisler, R. A., Longabaugh, R., & Zweben, A. (2005). Quality of life as an outcome measure in alcoholism treatment research. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, S15, 119–139.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Babor, T. F., Kranzler, H. R., & Lauerman, R. J. (1989). Early detection of harmful alcohol consumption: Comparison of clinical, laboratory, and self-report screening procedures. Addictive Behaviors, 14(2), 139–157.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Saunders, J. B., Aasland, O. G., Babor, T. F., de la Fuente, J. R., & Grant, M. (1993). Development of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT): Who collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption—II. Addiction, 88(6), 791–804.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Babor, T. F., Higgins-Biddle, J. C., Saunders, B., & Monteiro, M. G. (2001). AUDIT the alcohol use disorders identification test: Guidelines for use in primary care (2nd ed.).

  18. Reinert, D. F., & Allen, J. P. (2007). The alcohol use disorders identification test: An update of research findings. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(2), 185–199.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Selin, K. H. (2003). Test-retest reliability of the alcohol use disorder identification test in a general population sample. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 27(9), 1428–1435.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Smith, G. W., & Shevlin, M. (2008). Patterns of alcohol consumption and related behaviour in Great Britain: A latent class analysis of the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT). Alcohol and Alcoholism, 43(5), 590–594.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Tuunanen, M., Aalto, M., & Seppä, K. (2007). Binge drinking and its detection among middle-aged men using AUDIT, AUDIT-C and AUDIT-3. Drug and Alcohol Review, 26(3), 295–299.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Selin, K. H. (2006). Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT): What does it screen? Performance of the AUDIT against four different criteria in a Swedish population sample. Substance Use and Misuse, 41(14), 1881–1899.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Penninkilampi-Kerola, V., Miettunen, J., & Ebeling, H. (2006). A comparative assessment of the factor structures and psychometric properties of the GHQ-12 and the GHQ-20 based on data from a Finnish population-based sample. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 47(5), 431–440.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Goldberg, D. (1972). The detection of psychiatric illness by questionnaire. Mansley monograph no. 21. London: University Press.

  25. Goldberg, D., & Williams, P. (1988). A user’s guide to the general health questionnaire. Windsor: Nfer-Nelson Publishing Company Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  26. The WHOQOL Group. (1998). Development of the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment. The WHOQOL group. Psychological Medicine, 28(3), 551–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Skevington, S. M., Lotfy, M., & O’Connell, K. A. (2004). The World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: Psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. A report from the WHOQOL group. Quality of Life Research, 13(2), 299–310.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Norholm, V., & Bech, P. (2001). The WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Questionnaire: Danish validation study. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 55(4), 229–235.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hanestad, B. R., Rustoen, T., Knudsen, O., Jr., Lerdal, A., & Wahl, A. K. (2004). Psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for the Norwegian general population. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 12(2), 147–159.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Armitage, P. G. B. (1994). Statistical methods in medical research (3rd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Rehm, J., Room, R., van den Brink, W., & Jacobi, F. (2005). Alcohol use disorders in EU countries and Norway: an overview of the epidemiology. European Neuropsychopharmacology: The Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 15(4), 377–388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wilsnack, R. W., Wilsnack, S. C., Kristjanson, A. F., Vogeltanz-Holm, N. D., & Gmel, G. (2009). Gender and alcohol consumption: Patterns from the multinational GENACIS project. Addiction, 104(9), 1487–1500.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Knibbe, R. A., Derickx, M., Kuntsche, S., Grittner, U., & Bloomfield, K. (2006). A comparison of the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT) in general population surveys in nine European countries. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 41(1), i19–i25.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Bergman, H., & Kallmen, H. (2002). Alcohol use among Swedes and a psychometric evaluation of the alcohol use disorders identification test. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 37(3), 245–251.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Riise, T., Moen, B. E., & Nortvedt, M. W. (2003). Occupation, lifestyle factors and health-related quality of life: The Hordaland Health Study. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45(3), 324–332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Van Dijk, A. P., Toet, J., & Verdurmen, J. E. (2004). The relationship between health-related quality of life and two measures of alcohol consumption. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 65(2), 241–249.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Galea, S., & Tracy, M. (2007). Participation rates in epidemiologic studies. Annals of Epidemiology, 17(9), 643–653.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Sterud, T., Hem, E., Ekeberg, O., & Lau, B. (2007). Occupational stress and alcohol use: A study of two nationwide samples of operational police and ambulance, personnel in Norway. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68(6), 896–904.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Fellinger, J., Holzinger, D., Dobner, U., Gerich, J., Lehner, R., Lenz, G., et al. (2005). Mental distress and quality of life in a deaf population. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 40(9), 737–742.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Bai, M., Tomenson, B., Creed, F., Mantis, D., Tsifetaki, N., Voulgari, P. V., et al. (2009). The role of psychological distress and personality variables in the disablement process in rheumatoid arthritis. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 38(6), 419–430.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Edwards, P. J., Roberts, I. G., Clarke, M. J., DiGuiseppi, C., Wentz, R., Kwan, I., Cooper, R., Felix, L., & Pratap, S. (2007). Methods to increase response rates to postal questionnaires. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 2. Art. No.:MR000008. doi:10.1002/14651858.MR000008.pub3.

Download references

Acknowledgments

Statistics Norway is acknowledged by providing their expertise and helpfulness concerning this study. The financial support by Helse Bergen HF for conducting the survey is also appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Bergen University College, Bergen, Norway

    E. F. Mathiesen

  2. Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway

    E. F. Mathiesen & S. Nome

  3. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

    M. Eisemann

  4. Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway

    J. Richter

Authors
  1. E. F. Mathiesen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Nome
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Eisemann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Richter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. F. Mathiesen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mathiesen, E.F., Nome, S., Eisemann, M. et al. Drinking patterns, psychological distress and quality of life in a Norwegian general population-based sample. Qual Life Res 21, 1527–1536 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0080-8

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0080-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation