Carried out by Drinkaware and YouGov, the survey revealed that:
- 38% have drunk alcohol in the last year to forget their problems at least some of the time
- 47% had done so to cheer themselves up when in a bad mood
- 41% have drunk alcohol because it helps when they feel depressed or nervous in the last 12 months - 54% having done so at “increasing levels of risk”
While the results proved roughly equal for both men and women and all age ranges to varying degrees, people in lower social grades - who are more likely to be experiencing financial and housing worries - are drinking to forget their problems or when they are depressed or nervous at a “significantly higher rate.”
Drinkaware chief executive, Elaine Hindal, explained: “January can be a difficult time of year for many people and families up and down the country when day-to-day concerns about finances and debt come sharply into focus.
“What this thought provoking survey shows is that a worrying number of people are drinking alcohol to help them cope with the pressures of day-to-day life.
“While 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. This is because regular heavy drinking interferes with the neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health.
“The number of people who are drinking when they are already feeling depressed or nervous, and at levels which are harmful to both their physical and mental health is also deeply concerning.
“Regular drinking lowers levels of serotonin – the brain chemical that helps to regulate moods. This is one factor leading to symptoms of depression if people drink heavily and regularly.
“In addition, alcohol and depression can feed off each other to create a vicious cycle. Drinking heavily regularly may affect your relationship with your partner, family and friends, or impact on your performance at work - making life feel difficult and depressing. And after a hard day, it can be easy to believe that having a drink will help.
“Twenty first century living can be hard but using alcohol to help cope with its pressures, particularly for people who already struggling, for whatever reason, to keep their heads above water is not the solution.
“Finding ways of cutting back and of moderating alcohol consumption are simple changes that can have a significant impact on the quality of people’s lives.
“Drinkaware is here to help people make these better decisions by providing a wide range of information and support, like the Drinkaware app, which can help people to track and monitor their drinking. Our physical and mental health is too important to be taking risks with.”
The full report is attached.