Study Shows Work From Home Mothers Consumed More Alcohol During Lockdown. How Else To Deal With Double-Burden Syndrome?
It’s been almost 2 years since the pandemic took over our daily lives and while things are slowly but surely opening up, there are many things that we’ve learned about ourselves in these years. For instance, I learned that I can survive by myself all alone and I actually like it more than I like the company of people. Who knew? Well, not me for sure. Getting back to the point, while we learned something about ourselves, there were many studies being conducted that learned a lot more about a large group of people. For instance, a study shows that mothers who worked from home consumed more alcohol during the lockdown. And we all know why.
A recent study revealed that mothers who were under 50 and lived with their children were the ones to consume alcohol more during the lockdown. This study was published in the ‘Frontiers in Psychiatry Journal’.
The lead author of the study on mothers was Dr. Zaheer Hia, who analysed the results of a survey answered by 37,206 adults, spread across 38 countries – including New Zealand, the US, and Australia. The survey took place between April 17th, 2020, and June 25th, 2020.
Dr. Zaheer Hia studied the alcohol purchases and other outcomes as well before concluding that some people’s (including many mothers) drinking had increased (20.2%), some people’s decreased (17.6%), and others remained at the same level.
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The researchers on the study found that more than half of the adults (53.3%) who filled the survey experienced psychological distress at the beginning of the lockdown. They also found that the female gender (especially mothers), aged below 50, higher educational attainment, living with their children, working from home, and psychological distress were all independently associated with increased intake of alcohol.
As per reports, based on the data collected and analysed, the study concluded that increased psychological distress during lockdown led to increased consumption of alcohol – especially in mothers who were living with their children and were working from home.
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Talking about the study, Dr. Zaheer Hia said, “If you stock up, you feel like drinking more and if you have nothing to do, you will keep drinking. Rather than stocking up, it’s important to be aware of your mental wellbeing and choose more positive coping mechanisms, like exercise, a creative hobby or seeking out family and professional support… And it’s important to be aware of what help is available, such as helplines and mental health support, whether it’s on the phone or online.”
Honestly, I’m surprised but not shocked. We all experienced so much stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues during the lockdown that most of us did resort to using alcohol to calm ourselves down. And mothers who have the extra stress of taking care of everything and everyone – at home or at work – just made the possibility of them consuming alcohol even more certain.
First Published: January 28, 2022 6:23 PM
