Drinking above the UK government's daily guidelines for responsible drinking is associated with much poorer outcomes for people with mental health problems.

If you're depressed and you drink too much - even occasionally - you're at much greater risk of self-harm and suicide.

Heavy drinking can also aggravate symptoms in people with depression and anxiety. Drinking may bring you short term relief from anxiety and stress, but in the long term it can make you feel worse, especially if you drink a lot.

With some mental health problems - particularly if you drink to relieve anxiety or to change your mood - the risk of alcohol dependence is significantly increased. If you are taking medications or have injections to treat schizophrenia, mania, agitated depression or acute behavioural disturbance, it is very important that you ask your doctor whether it is safe for you to drink. They will be able to advise you depending on your dosage, the combinations of drugs you are being prescribed, your medical history and your state of mind.

Many of the medications used for mental health problems interact with alcohol - alcohol might prevent them from working properly or they could combine to cause an adverse reaction.

If you have a mental health problem, you need to discuss your alcohol intake with your doctor. If you're the carer of a person with a mental health problem, encourage that person to keep well within the UK government's daily guidelines for responsible drinking or not to drink at all.