intermediatealcohol-induced depressionsubstance-induced mood disordermajor depressive disorderdifferential diagnosisalcohol use disorder
A 45-year-old woman presents for outpatient psychiatric evaluation reporting depressed mood, anhedonia, insomnia, fatigue, poor concentration, and passive suicidal ideation for the past 3 months. Her PHQ-9 score is 22. During the intake, she discloses drinking a bottle of wine nightly for the past 4 months following a job loss, escalating from her prior pattern of 2-3 glasses per week. She reports that her depressive symptoms began approximately 3-4 weeks after her drinking escalated and acknowledges she feels worst in the mornings after drinking. She denies any prior depressive episodes during periods of moderate drinking or sobriety over the past 20 years. She has no family history of mood disorders. She was previously diagnosed with major depressive disorder by her primary care provider who started her on sertraline 50 mg daily 6 weeks ago with no significant improvement. She is requesting an increase in her antidepressant dose.