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- Ferris, J.A., et al.
(author)
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The impacts of others' drinking on mental health
- 2011
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In: Medical Journal of Australia. - 0025-729X .- 1326-5377. ; 195:3, s. 22-26
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE:To analyse the links between other people's drinking and mental health and to explore the effects on mental health of heavy and problematic drinkers both within and outside spousal relationships.DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:A secondary analysis of data obtained as part of the Alcohol's Harm to Others survey from 2622 randomly sampled Australian adults interviewed by telephone between October and December 2008.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Self-reported anxiety or depression and satisfaction with mental wellbeing; the presence of heavy and problematic drinkers in respondents' lives.RESULTS:Identification of at least one heavy drinker in the respondents' social network of friends, family and co-workers was significantly negatively associated with self-reported mental wellbeing and anxiety or depression. If the heavy drinker was identified by the respondent as someone whose drinking had had a negative impact on their life in the past year, the adverse effect on mental wellbeing and anxiety was much greater.CONCLUSIONS:Our findings support a causal pathway between alcohol use and mental health problems by way of someone else's drinking. The association with adverse mental health is substantial regardless of the type of relationship an individual has with the heavy drinker whose drinking has had an adverse effect on them.
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| 2. |
- Ferris, J., et al.
(author)
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The drinker’s effect on the social environment : A conceptual framework for studying alcohol’s harm to others
- 2010
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In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 7:4, s. 1855-1871
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The paper considers conceptual and methodological issues in studying the scope of alcohol’s harm to others. Reasons are suggested for the relative neglect of the topic. The approaches in two relevant research traditions are considered: population surveys on alcohol problems, and economic cost of alcohol studies. Ways of conceptualizing and measuring aspects of the drinker’s effects on others are considered, in terms of main types of relationship with the other, and in terms of major societal response institutions. The main types of data tend to measure different levels of severity, with population survey data dominated by less severe problems, and response institution data by more severe problems; so both are needed for a three-dimensional view. Research questions for the field and its policy significance are noted.
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| 3. |
- Laslett, A.-M., et al.
(author)
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Surveying the range and magnitude of alcohol's harm to others in Australia
- 2011
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In: Addiction. - : Wiley. - 0965-2140 .- 1360-0443. ; 106:9, s. 1603-1611
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims This study aims to document the adverse effects of drinkers in Australia on people other than the drinker. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting In a national survey of Australia, respondents described the harmful effects they experienced from drinkers in their households, family and friendship networks, as well as work-place and community settings. Participants A randomly selected sample of 2649 adult Australians. Measurements Problems experienced because of others' drinking were ascertained via computer-assisted telephone interviews. Respondent and drinker socio-demographic and drinking pattern data were recorded. Findings A total of 70% of respondents were affected by strangers' drinking and experienced nuisance, fear or abuse, and 30% reported that the drinking of someone close to them had negative effects, although only 11% were affected by such a person ‘a lot’. Women were more affected by someone they knew in the household or family, while men were more affected by strangers, friends and co-workers. Young adults were consistently the most negatively affected across the majority of types of harm. Conclusions Substantial proportions of Australians are affected by other people's drinking, including that of their families, friends, co-workers and strangers. These harms range in magnitude from noise and fear to physical abuse, sexual coercion and social isolation.
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