Covid: Pandemic alcohol abuse linked to depression rise

Motiv8 said heavy drinking had been "normalised" during the lockdowns

People drinking more alcohol during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to more suffering from depression and anxiety, a charity says.

Motiv8 Addiction Services described it as a "lethal cocktail" as numbers have continued to climb since March 2020.

Chief executive officer Thea Ozanturk said: "People were using alcohol as a means to cope with the lockdown.

"Alcohol is a natural depressant. The anxiety they felt around Covid, that increased. The isolation didn't help."

While the numbers of referrals have risen for the charity, Ms Ozanturk said she thought the true number of people struggling was much higher.

"About one in 18 people with an alcohol issue will actually seek support from a service. We only see the tip of the iceberg," she said.

Meanwhile, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed one in five people experienced depressive symptoms in early 2021, more than double the amount seen before the pandemic.

Ms Ozanturk agreed the figure seemed to be in line with trends on the island and said it was a problem likely to grow as the pandemic continued to affect people's lives.

She said: "We will see the impact of it for years to come, we're still really in the middle of it and we don't know how it will pan out."