Mindmap research exploring alcohol misuse and depression among older adults was recently published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. This research used longitudinal data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and the empirical literature to develop an agent-based model that explored the temporal co-evolution of depression and alcohol misuse among older adults nested in a spatial network. The study also simulated the potential impact of alcohol taxation policies and variously targeted interventions that increase social connection among older adults.
The findings of this simulation-based study indicate that alcohol taxation alone has little impact on either depression or alcohol misuse trajectories. Interventions which include increasing social connections however, particularly those targeting older adults who are depressed or socially isolated, may reduce depression prevalence among older adults.
The Mindmap publication can be found here: https://rdcu.be/btrFm
