refine and improve treatment methods for alcohol dependence are centered on the fact that alcoholism is not a condition that affects all people in the same manner. And consequently, an individualized approach should be used not only for a diagnosis or treatment but also for new research.
“Our results indicate the need to differentiate between mood states versus mood and anxiety disorders in subjects who are suffering from alcoholism,” Karpyak added. “We do not yet have data if treatment with antidepressants or other drugs can impact reported associations. Therefore, treatment recommendations may depend on future research in this direction — testing if any of the medical or nonmedical interventions will prove to be able to make a meaningful impact on alcohol consumption or other related phenotypes.”