Prevalence of binge drinking and its association with mental health conditions and quality of life in Singapore

Aims Although heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to a myriad of adverse health problems, there is a paucity of population-based studies in Asian countries. The aims of this study were to determine the past-year prevalence of binge drinking in Singapore and its associations with socio-demographic factors, mental health conditions and quality of life. Methods Data from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016 (N = 6126) on binge drinking were included in the analysis. Multiple logistic regressions were used to assess the adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) between binge drinking and relevant socio-demographic variables, and mental health conditions. Results In the sample, 13.7% of respondents reported past-year binge drinking, 17.6% of males and 9.8% of females were binge drinkers. Most of them were infrequent binge drinkers (7.3% binge drink less than monthly). Moderate associations between binge drinking and mood and anxiety disorders (ORadj = 1.8–4.4), were noted, while associations with alcohol use disorders were much stronger (ORadj = 5.3–9.7). Associations between binge drinking and anxiety disorders were observed exclusively in females (ORadj = 2.3–3.3). Binge drinkers reported a lower quality of life compared to their non-binging counterparts; binge-drinking males seemed to be more affected. Conclusions The prevalence of binge drinking is low in Singapore compared to global estimates; most binge drinkers in Singapore were infrequent binge drinkers. However, binge drinking was found to be associated with a myriad of mental health conditions, and a decline in quality of life was noted among binge drinkers.