A recent mental health survey highlighted that three in four Britons admit to being stressed to the point they have felt unable to cope at least once in the last year. With a third saying this has left them feeling suicidal, the charity for pub and bar people has issued a reminder to staff at all levels that help is at hand.
Research commissioned by the Licensed Trade Charity to examine the personal problems faced by those in the pub and bar sector found that work based-stress and anxiety were the two biggest issues, while major depression and hazardous drinking also feature prominently.
Head of charity services Carolyn Jenkinson commented: “We offer a range of support services for pub and bar people who need help, and with mental health being a growing area of concern we encourage anyone working in a pub or bar who is worried about their situation to open up and call our free 24/7 confidential helpline.
“We are here to support those with mental health issues with the right solution, be that on the phone or face to face.”
In the last year, the Licensed Trade Charity has offered one-to-one advice and counselling to help cope with issues faced by staff at all levels, including a bar worker of 15 years who was being bullied by his manager, and a manager of a pub in Lancashire who sought specialist support in dealing with a suicidal member of their pub team.
Moreover, YouGov research carried out for alcohol education charity Drinkaware in March and April 2017 revealed that 38% of men and women who said they had drunk alcohol in the last year had done so at least some of the time to forget their problems.
Nearly half (47%) said they had done so to cheer themselves up when in a bad mood while 41% said that they had drunk alcohol because it helps when they feel depressed or nervous - with 54% of these people having done so at increasing levels of risk.
Drinkaware chief executive Elaine Hindal commented: “While people might think that having a drink after a hard day can help them relax, in the long run it can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with.
“This is because regular, heavy drinking interferes with the neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health.
“Regular drinking lowers levels of serotonin – the brain chemical that helps to regulate moods.
“This is one factor leading to symptoms of depression if people drink heavily and regularly.
“In addition, alcohol and depression can feed off each other to create a vicious cycle.
“Regularly drinking heavily may affect your relationship with your partner, family and friends, or impact on your performance at work, making life feel difficult and depressing.
“Finding ways of cutting back and of moderating alcohol consumption are simple changes that can have a significant impact on the quality of people’s lives.
“Drinkaware is here to help people make these better decisions by providing a wide range of information and support, like the Drinkaware app, which can help people to track and monitor their drinking.”
Additionally, the Drinkaware at Work training and e-learning programme offers a potentially useful tool for operators who want to support employees who may be struggling with drink.
More information is available on the Licensed Trade Charity’s help sheet here https://www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk/improve-work-life-balance while people with concerns over stress are also encouraged to call the Charity’s helpline on 0808 801 0550 or visit https://www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk.
For more information on Drinkaware at Work contact daw@drinkaware.co.uk.