Aussie teens are more distressed but drinking less

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-07-04 03:00

Australia; VIC; WA

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There is a well-known link between youth drinking and psychological distress, however, Aussie teens are currently reporting higher levels of distress but lower consumption of alcohol, according to Australian researchers. The study looked at survey data on drinking and self-reported psychological distress from 6543 teenagers from 2007 to 2019, and say youth drinking rates declined while distress increased over the time period. They say despite these opposing statistics, the link between distress and alcohol consumption remained steady, and it appears the decline in youth drinking is unrelated to the increase in mental health issues.