Health Matters 4/23: Pandemic Stress Leading People to Turn to Alcohol
By Nicole Orro, LPC, LCADC
Alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have increased as more people have turned to alcohol to cope with the stress and anxiety associated with the virus, according to recent surveys.
And while with rising vaccination rates there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, feelings of stress and anxiety will likely linger for some time even after life returns to a post-pandemic normal.
This could mean that people will continue to view alcohol as a means to cope.
Drinking, however, is not a healthy coping mechanism. Using alcohol to deal with stress could ultimately lead to dependence, harm your health, and have a significant impact on many aspects of your life.
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Children in the UK are being held back from play independently outside until later childhood, new research has found.
The British Children’s Play Survey, conducted in April 2020 is the largest study of its kind. Researchers asked 1919 parents about the play of children aged 5 to 11. While parents said that on average they were allowed out alone to play before the age of nine, the current generation of primary school children are not given the same independence until they were nearly 11.
The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research into Public Health found that the average age that a child was allowed to play outside alone was just before their 11th birthday (an average of 10.74 years). The authors note that 6% of parents (108 participants) said that they would not allow their child to play independently before 11. In comparison, parents themselves said they were allowed out before their 9th birthday (an average of 8.91 years).
Pre-teen friends sitting on climbing frame in playground.
- Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Fears over road safety and crime are preventing some parents letting their children outside to play independently.
That is the claim from advocates of outdoor play, academics and parents as a study revealed children in the UK are not generally allowed to play outside on their own until just before they turn 11.
This was compared to their parents generation who were generally let out to play just before the age of nine.
The British Children’s Play Survey, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research into Public Health, took place in April last year in which just over 1,900 parents of five-11-year-olds were surveyed.
The British Children’s Play Survey, conducted in April 2020 is the largest study of its kind. Researchers asked 1919 parents about the play of children aged 5 to 11. While parents said that on average they were allowed out alone to play before the age of nine, the current generation of primary school children were not given the same independence until they were nearly 11. The study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research into Public Health today (April 20), found that the average age that a child was allowed to play outside alone was just before their 11th birthday (an average of 10.74 years).
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