PTS | Study by the Faculty of Psychotherapy Science: Alcohol in Austria a ‘false antidepressant’

Austrians who drink excessive amounts of alcohol use it as a misguided means of managing depressive moods in particular. This is the finding of a recent network analysis of mental disorders in adulthood based on data from just over 2,000 individuals. Marina Zeldovich and Human-Friedrich Unterrainer from the Faculty of Psychotherapy Science at Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna, together with experts from other universities, published the study in the “Journal of Affective Disorders”.

“Alcohol misuse is increasingly understood as a maladaptive form of affect regulation. This study examines the interplay between alcohol misuse, psychological symptoms and age in a representative sample of Austrian adults, using network analysis to model these associations,” the authors wrote (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2026.121290).

Data from a study on mobile phone use and mental health

For the analysis, data from 2,007 participants (49 per cent women; mean age 48.2 years) were used. The data originated from a scientific study published last spring on mental health and smartphone use. Specialised questionnaires were employed to assess alcohol consumption, depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbances and stress.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around twelve per cent of Austrians are affected by alcohol misuse, while 5.8 per cent are alcohol dependent. Increasing evidence suggests that alcohol is frequently used as a way of coping with emotional distress, the authors emphasise.

Learn more: https://science.apa.at (Information in German)

Selected German media reports:

Contact for inquiries:

Univ.-Prof. PD Mag. Dr. Marina Zeldovich
Sigmund Freud Private University
Faculty of Psychotherapy Science
marina.zeldovich@sfu.ac.at

Univ.-Prof. PD mult. Dr.Dr. Human-Friedrich Unterrainer
Sigmund Freud Private University
Faculty of Psychotherapy Science
human.unterrainer@sfu.ac.at

(17 February 2026, APA)