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Third of men drink to reduce stress
02:30am 12th January 2006

More than a third of men are self-medicating with alcohol to
help them deal with stress, new research has shown.

A survey by health charity Developing Patient Partnerships (DPP)
found that 34% of men and 26% of women would consider an
alcoholic drink as a way of helping them feel less stressed.

The poll of more than 1,000 adults in the UK found that 27% of
men and 23% of women would have a cigarette to reduce stress
levels.

The report - Stress and Wellbeing 2006 - came as DPP launched a
new campaign to show how people can manage their stress and
avoid the knock-on effects of depression and anxiety.

The Dealing with Stress campaign urges people to avoid taking
refuge from stress by smoking, eating junk food and drinking
alcohol, as these activities would not help stress levels.

DPP spokeswoman Dr Rosemary Anderson said: "It is worrying that
stressed people are seeking solace in alcohol and cigarettes
when there are many positive things that people can do to help
themselves cope, plus feel better in the long term.

"There is clearly a lot of confusion about what stress is and
people often underestimate how much they can do to manage their
stress. The Dealing With Stress campaign aims to redress this."

Chris Rowe, head of Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Psychosocial Policy, added: "The Dealing With Stress campaign
complements the HSE Management Standards, which aim to prevent
stress at work by describing the sort of things that should be
in place in good, high performing, caring workplaces."

Alison Cobb, from mental health charity Mind, said: "There is an
urgent need for employers to assist workers in managing stress
at work, now a major economical problem.

"Just as all workplaces have a physical health policy, so they
should have a mental health policy. We urge more understanding
and openness of stress and mental health problems in the
workplace."