Alcohol has a mitigating effect on stress at work and on psychological stress.

To what extent is drinking able to influence the link between stress at work and psychological stress? Alain Marchand and his colleagues at the University of Montreal wanted to find an answer to the question. They used a questionnaire with 14 items to gauge the psychological stress in test subjects. Work-related stress was measured with reference to information on the use of skills, involvement in the decision-making process and the psychological demands of the job, plus exposure to physical risks. The pressure arising from factors outside the work assignment was derived from the work timetable, the status of the job and the manner of remuneration (piece work or otherwise).

The participants were classed as partial abstainers (no drink during the past twelve months), low-risk drinkers (maximum 10 drinks for women, 15 for men in the past week) and high-risk drinkers (anything above these quantities). Their average age was between 35 and 39 years. Total abstainers and high-risk drinkers were equally prone to psychological stress, and women more so than men. Total abstainers were found to suffer 25% more stress than moderate drinkers, high-risk drinkers scoring as much as 75% over the odds.

This result confirms other studies that have shown a greater benefit for moderate drinking. According to the researchers, these would rather seem to indicate a positive effect of moderate alcohol consumption as regards stress and mental health.

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