Work pressure 'fuels binge drinking boom'

The research by Professor Anna van Wersch, a psychologist at Teesside University, and Wendy Walker from Leeds University, found that drinkers felt they had to let off steam at the weekends after struggling with the stress of having to control emotions in the workplace all week.

However, Professor van Wersch did say that she did not believe bingeing was entirely unhealthy, adding: 'If people didn't have the 'big night out with friends' to look forward to, what would they do and feel like at the end of the week? We don't want a nation on Prozac, do we?'

Although the official definition of binge-drinking is consuming five consecutive drinks in one sitting, for the purpose of the study - published in the Journal of Health Psychology - it was deemed to be simply going out and getting drunk.

Researchers questioned people's perceptions of their drinking habits and found that interviewees believed getting drunk alone was 'pointless'. They justified their sessions by staying abstinent during the working week.

• Related article on nursingtimes.net: The benefits of an alcohol liaison nurse in an acute hospital

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