Britons Turn to Alcohol Due to Work Stress

People in Britain have the longest working hours in Europe - a reason that is driving them to drink and jeopardising their health, says a study .

Stress expert Cary Cooper, of Lancaster University, said the changing patterns of work seem to be having their negative effect on men's health, particularly those working in professions such as law and finance, reported the online edition of the Daily Mail.

Researchers studied 2,200 men and found that 37 percent of them admitted they had turned to alcohol as the best way of forgetting about the stresses of work, while 20 percent said the pressure had led to aggressive outbursts.

Nearly 22 percent had suffered depression as a result of workplace stress while more than a third suffered from disrupted sleep.

The impact on family life and relationships was also marked - one in 10 experienced a loss of interest in their family or partner while 15 percent reported a lowered sex drive, the study said.

The legal profession was the most stressed occupation with 38 percent suffering severe or extreme stress, followed by banking and finance at 28 percent, Cooper said.

Least stressed were people working in arts and entertainment as well as charity employees, said the study underlining the need to achieve a better work-life balance.

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'Employers need to end the long hours culture, to begin to manage people by reward and praise and not be constantly fault-finding,' it said.

(Source: IANS News)