Link Between Anhedonia and Depression During Early Alcohol Abstinence: Gender Matters

Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relation between anhedonia and depression in alcohol use disorders (AUD) during detoxification: Is trait anhedonia measured at the beginning of detoxification predictive of depressive symptoms observed at the end? Does state anhedonia recover during detoxification as depression does? Gender differences that have been previously observed for depression in AUD were also explored. Methods: 81 AUD inpatients were tested at T1 (day 1) and T2 (day 14-18) of withdrawal with the trait Physical Anhedonia Scale, the state anhedonia Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, the Beck depression inventory and the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory and compared to 34 control participants, matched for age and gender. Results: AUD patients scored significantly higher than controls on depression, anxiety and state and trait anhedonia when they just entered the detoxification unit. Depression, anxiety and state anhedonia decreased between T1 and T2 in AUD patients. In women, state anhedonia at T1 was predictive of depressive symptoms at T2 over and above anxiety and depression at T1. Conclusion: In AUD, state anhedonia recovers during detoxification, concurrently to other affective-related symptoms. However, in women, trait anhedonia predicts the level of depression at the end of detoxification, above and beyond anxiety. This finding stresses the importance of addressing anhedonia in the treatment of AUD and emphasizes the need for targeted interventions within clinical settings in this gender. Clinical consequences are discussed.