Purpose of Review
The goal of this review was to provide a summary of pharmacological and psychological interventions for patients with comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depressive disorder.
Recent Findings
We identified 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating pharmacological interventions and 10 RCTs evaluating psychological interventions in patients with comorbid AUD and depression. Antidepressants were efficacious only in some trials. The combination of anti-alcohol medication and antidepressant may be more effective. Similarly, motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral treatment have some efficacy for treating these comorbid disorders.
Summary
Despite some mixed results, the current review suggests that pharmacological and psychological interventions have some efficacy for treating this population. Further research is necessary to develop more effective treatments for comorbid AUD and depressive disorder.