Gémes K, et al. - Researchers examined if drinking trajectories over time are differentially associated with poor self-rated health and psychological distress. From the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, two sub-cohorts surveyed in 2002–2010–2014 and 2006–2010–2014 (n = 23,794 and n = 34,667 at baseline, respectively) were administered questionnaires querying alcohol consumption, self-rated health, psychological distress (measured by General Health Questionnaire-12), lifestyle factors, and longstanding illness. The analysis revealed a U-shape association between alcohol trajectories and self-rated health, but not with psychological distress. They observed the highest odds of both poor self-rated health and psychological distress in correlation with former drinking vs stable moderate drinking. The study establishes that a life-course approach is important to investigate the effect of alcohol consumption on health, and highlights the poorer general and mental health status of non-drinkers who were former drinkers.