Drinking to cope: Drinkaware and YouGov survey

YouGov interviewed a representative sample of 6,174 UK adults aged 18-75 online between 27^thMarch and 18^th April 2017. 

Key findings include: 

• Almost three in five (58%) of all people (aged 18-75) who drink alcohol are doing so at least some of the time because it helps them to cope
• 38% of men and women who said they had drunk alcohol in the last year had done so to forget their problems
• 47% said they had done so to cheer themselves up when in a bad mood
• 41% said that they had drunk alcohol because it helps when they feel depressed or nervous
• People in lower social grades are drinking to forget their problems or when they are depressed or nervous at a significantly higher rate