Depression turning a third of Britons to the bottle

At least a third of UK residents admit to resorting to alcohol in order to beat high stress levels, a new survey says.

According to emotional support charity Samaritans, 32 per cent of Britons say they drink to feel less stressed, compared to a quarter of respondents in 2003.

The worst offending age group is 25-to-34-year-olds, while younger people are more likely to watch television or listen to music to de-stress.

But almost a fifth of people aged between 16 and 24 admit to feeling suicidal ? the highest proportion recorded for any age group.

Samaritans says that 50 per cent of Britons are stressed out, with their sleeping patterns and sex lives among the areas suffering as a result.

The most common reasons behind high stress levels were given as money worries, workplace issues and family problems.

In contrast, global concerns such as climate change and continuing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan stressed out just three per cent and one per cent of individuals.

Speaking as the charity launches its stress down day, Joe Ferns, directors of service support at Samaritans, admits that the survey results are “worrying”.

“There can be little doubt that for many people life is more hectic and complicated than it would have been 54 years ago when Samaritans was first set up, but we still need to find a way of looking after our emotional health better,” he said.