Alcohol use for depression on rise, says study

THE number of people drinking alcohol at risky levels to help their depression and nerves has risen in the past three years, a survey has found.

Two out of five (41 per cent) said they took alcohol because it helped when they felt depressed or nervous, with 54 per cent of these having done so at increasing levels of risk.

In 2014, the number of people doing so at risky levels was 45 per cent.

Almost three in five adults said they drank because it helped them cope with the pressures of day-to-day life.

The research, by Drinkaware, looked at the drinking patterns of those aged 18 to 75 in the UK. They found nearly two in five (38 per cent) who had drunk alcohol in the past year said they had done so to forget problems at least some of the time.

Nearly half (47 per cent) said they had done so to cheer themselves up when in a bad mood, while 58 per cent said it helped them to cope with life’s pressures.

This trend was roughly equal for both men and women and was seen across all age ranges to varying degrees.

But the charity said people in poorer parts of society, who were more likely to be experiencing financial and housing worries, were drinking to forget their problems at a significantly higher rate.

Elaine Hindal, Drinkaware chief executive, said: “January can be a difficult time of year for many people and families when day-today concerns about finances and debt come sharply into focus. What this thoughtprovoking survey shows is that a worrying number of people are drinking alcohol to help them cope. Whilst people might think having a drink after a hard day can help them relax, in the long run it can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with because regular, heavy drinking interferes with the neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health.”

The charity spoke to 22-year-old Joanna Rog, from London, about her use of alcohol. She said: “Some weeks I drink every day just to keep myself going. There is a release in doing that which helps me temporarily to forget my problems.”

41pc The percentage of people who said they used alcohol to help them if depressed or nervous