Not only have drinking rates increased during the COVID-19 pandemic latest research sheds light on a new worrying trend – ‘Drunkorexia’.
The cross-sectional observational study, published in Australian Psychologist on 17 March 2020 looked at Australian university students aged 18-24 years old, and found that around 1 in 3 Australian female university students report not eating, or eating differently, to try and save calories for binge drinking episodes, behaviour often referred to as ‘Drunkorexia’.
The study also identified character traits associated with drunkorexic behaviour, which include:
- Insufficient self-control
- Emotional deprivation
- Social isolation.
The authors of the study conclude that drunkorexia-type behaviour increases “the risk of potential physical, psychological and social health-related problems”.
They suggest that addressing the identified character traits associated with this behaviour “may strengthen future preventative and intervention programs”.
For more information and to read the full study, visit: scimex.org/newsfeed/drunkorexia-around-1-in-3-female-uni-students-report-saving-calories-for-binge-drinking-episodes/multimedia/drunkorexia-paper-wiley.pdf
