Press release: Study links drinking habits to higher rates of anxiety and depression

An estimated 12.5¹ million people in the UK exceed the Chief Medical Officers’ ‘low risk’ drinking guidelines of 14 units per week. Yet, according to Alcohol Change UK’s latest research, consumption at these levels is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety, and lower overall wellbeing compared to never-drinkers.

The research examined the drinking habits of more than 4,000 UK adults and the wide range of harms associated with various levels of alcohol consumption. Key findings related to mental health for hazardous (15-34 units per week for women and 15-49 units for men) and harmful (35+ units for women and 50+ units per week for men) consumption levels:

• Higher rates of depression: less than one in five (18%) never-drinkers report depression, compared to more than one in four (26%) hazardous drinkers and almost four in 10 (37%) harmful drinkers.
  
  
• Higher rates of anxiety: less than one in four (24%) never-drinkers reported anxiety, rising to more than 3 in 10 (32%) hazardous drinkers and 1 in 2 (50%) harmful drinkers.

In addition, those of us exceeding 14 units per week reported significantly lower overall wellbeing compared to never drinkers, with increased consumption linked to worse sleep quality and daily functioning.

Dr Richard Piper, CEO at Alcohol Change UK, said:

“From the TV shows and films that we watch to the adverts we're bombarded with as we go about our lives, the world around us promotes drinking alcohol during good times, bad times and everything in between. This makes it easy for our alcohol consumption to creep up above 14 units per week, which, as our research suggests, can be doing more harm than good when it comes to our mental health. And of course, alcohol can too easily become a crutch that we rely on when dealing with mental health issues, when it’s often making them worse.

“So many people who share their stories about cutting back on the booze are surprised at the wellbeing improvements they’ve experienced in a short period of time – from better sleep and more energy to reduced feelings of ‘brain fog’, stress and anxiety. Cutting back can make a big difference to our daily life. That’s why, if improving our mental health is a goal for us, we should consider taking action on our drinking habits.”

Brian Back at online counselling platform, BetterHelp, added:

"Alcohol can be a subtle yet significant contributor to mental health issues. People drink for many reasons - celebration, socialising or to unwind - and it's easy for our intake to gradually increase, especially with a few extra drinks on the weekend. While alcohol may offer short-term relief, it often worsens anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns in the long run.

“As a depressant, alcohol disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters - chemical messengers in the brain - affecting both thoughts and behaviour. Alcohol Change UK's research shows that individuals drinking more than the 14 units per week report higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to never-drinkers. So, while alcohol may feel like a short-term fix, it’s rarely the friend we think it is when it comes to mental health. By making some simple changes to our drinking habits and finding healthier coping mechanisms that work for us, we can not only protect but supercharge our wellbeing and mental health."

Still got questions? Find out more about alcohol and mental health here: Alcohol and mental health - fact sheet | Alcohol Change UK

Alcohol Change UK Ambassador Lauren White gives her tips on managing trickier moments in life without turning to alcohol: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJY0HM4N5-B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Have a story to share about how alcohol has impacted your mental health, or how you’ve managed to improve your mental health by changing your relationship with alcohol? Submit your story here: Share your story | Alcohol Change UK.

For interviews, case studies and further information about this research, please contact [email protected].

About the research

BIT recruited a nationally representative sample of 4,236 adults to take part in an online survey between the 18th of November and 2nd of December 2024. Participants reported their alcohol consumption patterns, both current (based on daily units consumed over the previous 14 days) and across their lifetime. The survey captured data on a wide range of self-reported outcomes, including physical health, healthcare service use, injuries, wellbeing, daily functioning, and diagnosed conditions. This approach enabled efficient collection of data from a large, representative sample while controlling for demographic and other factors, such as smoking, diet and exercise, that might influence health outcomes. Our analysis examined both immediate and longer-term associations with alcohol consumption. Immediate impacts include sleep quality, daily functioning, workplace productivity, and healthcare service use. Longer-term impacts include diagnosed conditions, though these relationships are more complex as serious health impacts may take years to develop, and our snapshot approach cannot capture future effects. This approach, examining both immediate effects and diagnosed conditions, provides important insights into how alcohol consumption relates to daily life, public service use, and health outcomes across the UK population. While the self-reported nature of the data and single timepoint collection have inherent limitations, the findings show significant patterns in how drinking levels relate to various aspects of health, and their impact on society and the economy.

Additional references:

¹ Estimates based the proportion of people drinking at these levels reported in Health Survey for England (2022), as a proportion of the UK 18+ population reported in the ONS (2024) Population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2023.

Above 14 units - breakdown of estimated no. of UK adults:

• Hazardous consumption: 10.2 million
• Harmful consumption: 2.4 million