Alcoholism, depression, and life events.

Alcoholics with and without secondary depression were compared on a wide variety of clinical variables. Subjects with secondary depression reported more fights, arrests, neurotic complaints, suicidal behavior, and recent undesirable life events than subjects with alcoholism alone. The data indicate a close relationship between negative events and the secondary depression of alcoholism. In addition, the findings suggest that the alcoholic with secondary depression is at greater risk for suicide than the alcoholic without a depressive syndrome.