​Older adults who drink heavily -– up to five alcoholic beverages in one sitting -– are significantly more likely to report psychological distress than their non-drinking counterparts, according to a study in the Journal of Aging and Health.

Using data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey, researchers from the University of Alabama's department of psychology and Center for Mental Health and Aging found that adults age 60 or older who "binge" drank at least once a month, weekly or daily reported higher levels of psychological distress compared with non-binge drinkers. 

Findings: A significant main effect of frequency of binge drinking was found in regression analyses, indicating that an increased frequency of binge drinking was significantly associated with increased psychological distress. Results from additional analyses showed that binge drinking was related to increased psychological distress when individuals were binge drinking more than once in the past year. 

The results suggest that binge drinking frequently may be related to increased experiences of psychological distress among older drinkers. Research and clinical implications are discussed.