DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Depressive disorders affect approximately 334 million people worldwide, with a prevalence up to 1.5% higher in women. The workload of healthcare professionals can lead to mental health conditions, and alcohol consumption is often used as a relaxation method. Therefore, we sought to understand the association between depressive disorders and alcohol consumption. This is an integrative literature review that analyzed articles from the BVS and PubMed databases between 2021 and 2026. Of these, 15 articles were used to elucidate the process of mental illness, alcohol use, and life perspectives regarding mental health treatment. Nurses and women are more vulnerable to depression and PTSD, and physicians had higher alcohol consumption. We found an association between depression and alcohol consumption, although dependence exists at a lower rate, with mental suffering beginning during undergraduate studies.