Is depressed mood in childhood associated with an increased risk for initiation of alcohol use during early adolescence?

Objective: Using prospective data, we tested the hypothesis that early depressed mood was associated with an increased risk for initiation of alcohol use. In addition, we examined whether these associations varied according to the youths' report that alcohol consumption occurred with or without parental permission. Methods: The participants for these analyses were students, ages 9 to 13 years old, participating in a longitudinal study in an urban sample of public schools (n = 2311). As part of the prospective annual assessments of the students, in 1990 through 1994, data on depressive mood and alcohol use were gathered. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between the level of baseline depressed mood in 1990 and initiation of alcohol use between 1991 through 1994 in the sample of youth at risk for new onset drinking (n = 1526). Other characteristics assessed in the analyses included age, sex, race-ethnicity, alcohol use by peers, neighborhood environment, and receipt of subsidized lunch. Results: Higher level of early depressed mood was associated with an earlier and increased estimated risk of initiating alcohol use without parental permission for boys but not for girls. Depressed mood was not associated with alcohol use initiation that occurred with parental sanctions. Conclusions: Findings from the current study support the hypothesis that among urban youth, early depressed mood influences the initiation of alcohol consumption without parental permission for boys.