SOARING binge drinking and anxiety — the unintended consequences of lockdown on public health are laid bare in new research which shows how ethnic minorities, women and young people were hardest hit.
Work led by Glasgow University's Institute of Health and Wellbeing calls for measures to mitigate the adverse impacts on wellbeing linked to efforts to control the devastating virus.
The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, shows just how difficult the period has been for the public — and how complex the task of protecting the nation's health is for leaders.
The study, based on data from over 27,000 individuals, found the proportion of people drinking four or more times per week rose from 13.7% to 22% during lockdown, with binge drinking up from 10.8% to 16.2%.
That behaviour increased most amongst women, white ethnic groups and those with a degree-level education. By age, over-25s showed the biggest increase, while levels in younger people remained stable.
Conversely, the proportion of those taking five or more drinks during a typical day when drinking dropped from 13.6% to 5%. This was most evidently seen amongst the youngest age group.
Psychological distress markedly increased during the first month of that period, with women and younger people particularly adversely affected.
Elevated levels of distress were most pronounced in people aged under 45 and in women, with 36.8% of females affected.
Those in Asian ethnic minority groups — who are also known to be at greater risk from Covid-19 — also experienced a “large increase” in distress from 18.7% in 2017-19 to 34.9% during lockdown.
The data is taken from the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
Dr Claire Niedzwiedz said: “Understanding the health impacts of lockdown is important, as further periods of physical distancing are likely to be necessary in many countries for some time, especially as the risk of further waves of infection remains.
“These impacts may disproportionately affect specific population subgroups, with concerns that young people, women and disadvantaged groups may be at greater risk.
“The increases in psychological distress and alcohol use in the UK highlight the need to consider how the potential health harms associated with lockdown measures can be mitigated, especially for those who are most at risk.”
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