Mothers ‘bottling up’ risk for children

SOME mothers are turning to alcohol to deal with the pressure of being “supermums”, putting their children at risk of depression and anxiety, according to a new report.

Alcohol misuse within families is an “escalating concern”, according to Turning Point, a charity providing services for people with drug and alcohol misuse and mental health problems.

In its study, Bottling It Up: The Next Generation, the charity warns that 2.6 million children in the UK are living with a parent who drinks at hazardous levels.

The report said “a key issue was that mothers often felt under pressure to be ‘perfect’ and that alcohol was a way of coping with the demands of motherhood”.

Darren Woodward, of Turning Point, added: “Alcohol misuse affects the whole family.”