Solo drinking is on the rise with boredom, loneliness the key culprits

More Australians are drinking alone to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, new research says.

Hannah Rockliffe, 20, and David Swan, 22, enjoy a beer.

More Australians are drinking alone to get through the COVID-19 pandemic according to new research, with boredom and loneliness driving up drinking habits.

The study found that the proportion of Australians reporting drinking alone has risen since the introduction of social distancing, with one in five saying they now drink alone more.

The research, conducted by Hall & Partners, also found that women are more likely than men to report drinking more since the introducing of social distancing measures, while those aged 18 to 29 are the age group most affected.

An Australian-born smartphone app developed by Hello Sunday Morning, called Daybreak, is aiming to help reduce harms from drinking, particularly in this self-isolation period.

It's had over 50,000 downloads since its 2016 launch and connects psychologists with people who want help reducing their drinking.

Lisa Robins, a psychologist and head of digital therapeutics at Hello Sunday Morning, said digital health solutions support and bolster in-person health services.

“A cocktail of social isolation, unemployment, change in domestic status, increasing family tension and deepening anxiety is already demonstrably driving patterns of increased alcohol purchasing and consumption," she said.

“Paralleling this, we’re seeing our Daybreak members seeking support from the online community to cope with the impact of these stresses and their heightened vulnerability to drinking as a coping mechanism.

“Swift action to support people to maintain their social connections and connect with health professionals and mental health and drug and alcohol services is a must. As an online service, Daybreak is really helping people reach the support and help they need right now."

Last August, peer-reviewed research and published in the Journal of Medical internet Research, found that use of the Daybreak app can support the treatment of both “risky/harmful” and “probably dependent” drinkers.

The 70 per cent of study participants classed as “probably dependent” more than halved their alcohol consumption while using Daybreak, from 40.8 standard drinks a week to 20.1 standard drinks, while alcohol consumption among “risky/harmful” drinkers dropped from 22.9 standard drinks a week to 11.9 standard drinks, which is below National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines that recommend no more than 14 drinks a week.

Hello Sunday Morning CEO Chris Raine said the COVID-19 crisis was highlighting the need to develop online services to supplement traditional approaches.

"As face-to-face alcohol counselling services become severely curtailed, evidence-based services like Daybreak can take the pressure off the system and provide that vital connection among people facing similar challenges with controlling their own drinking," he said.