Understanding The Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Stress, Anxiety and Depression

For decades, alcohol has become a significant part of our society and culture. Alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of both short and long-term harmful physical and mental health effects. The study is aimed at finding the relationship between alcohol consumption and stress, anxiety and depression. Materials and Methods: Descriptive-correlational design was adopted for conducting the research. The sample consisted of 160 participants aged 18-60 years out of which 81 were females and 79 were males. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to assess alcohol consumption and The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – 21 (DASS-21) was used to evaluate the stress, anxiety and depression levels. Results: The findings of the study showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between alcohol consumption and stress in males and females (<0.01). It can also be seen that alcohol consumption and anxiety are also positively and significantly corelated in males and females (<0.01). It is also found out that alcohol is significantly and positively related with depression among males and females (<0.01). Conclusion: The findings of the study reveal that alcohol consumption and stress have a reciprocal relationship. People who are stressed are more likely to consume alcohol. Alcohol consumption, on the other hand, might also cause stress. Anxiety has a stronger relationship with alcohol consumption among males than in females. People who consume alcohol are more vulnerable to anxiety than those who do not and vice versa.  It is also found that depression also has a stronger relationship with alcohol consumption among males than in females. People use alcohol to self-medicate their depressed symptoms because of its depressant properties, however long-term use of alcohol to self-medicate leads to depression.