Depression and alcohol problems are common in psychiatric outpatients, but there are few studies including patients with anxiety disorders.

To study the prevalence of problematic alcohol consumption in a sample of patients diagnosed of anxiety or depressive disorder and treated in a mental health clinic and to analyze clinical and sociodemographic variables associated to alcohol consumption.

The sample studied included 194 outpatients (31.9% men and 68.1% women) treated in an outpatient clinic and diagnosed of any anxiety or depressive disorder included in DSM-IVTR as main diagnose. Instruments used were Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Alcohol Use Identification Test (AUDIT). Other variables studied included age, civil status, level of studies, and specific psychiatric diagnoses.

A total of 64.9% were diagnosed of anxiety disorder and 35.1% were diagnosed of depressive disorder. The prevalence of problematic alcohol consumption was 7.8%, being more frequent in men, especially in men and in middle ages. Problematic alcohol consumption was found with more frequency in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and major depression, in this order. Patients with other comorbidity disorders in Axis II presented the highest prevalences of problematic alcohol consumption.

Problematic alcohol consumption presents high prevalence in patients with anxiety or depressive disorders and dual diagnose usually is associated with poor prognosis. It is necessary to make efforts to detect alcohol problematic consumption in psychiatric patients and develop specific treatment programs directed to this group of patients in both primary and specialized care units.