Drinking in moderation during retirement may help protect against depression, according to a study. Researchers tracked more than 27,500 people over 14 years, recording their drinking habits alongside their health conditions. They found that retirees exhibited more signs of depression compared to those still working.
However, analysis revealed that moderate drinkers among the retirees had fewer symptoms of depression than both binge drinkers and those who abstained completely. Moderate drinking was defined as consuming one to three drinks per day for women and one to four drinks per day for men.
Moderate drinking linked to lower depression
Binge drinking was categorized as having four or more drinks per day for women or five or more drinks per day for men. Researchers suggested that moderate alcohol consumption might reduce depressive symptoms via its mood-lifting effect during social interactions. However, they emphasized caution. Dr.
Antonia Diaz-Valdes from Universidad Mayor in Chile noted, “Drinking alcohol increases the risk of falls, injuries, dependency, and the accompanying poor health outcomes.” She stressed that while retirement can be challenging for some, turning to alcohol is not the recommended solution. Dr. Christina Seller from Simmons University in Boston highlighted the importance of providing support to retirees to prevent heavy alcohol use as a coping mechanism, stating, “Providing alternative coping mechanisms to heavy alcohol consumption for retirees is crucial.”
The study was published in the journal Aging and Mental Health.