Legal News

A US team at the University of Illinois College of Medicine is warning that teenagers who binge drink may be at higher risk of anxiety and mental health disorders as they age because of disruption to the DNA of brain cells caused by excessive alcohol intake when young.

It is estimated that one in four people will be diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point during their lives.

Mild to moderate mental health disorders include anxiety and depression. In the UK, all three main political parties have pledged to give mental health parity with physical health in the NHS. However, over the last year, children’s mental health charities such as Young Minds have warned that mental health services for children and young people have suffered severe budget cutbacks and services are stretched to breaking point.

Binge drinking among young adults in the UK has increased since licensing laws were relaxed under New Labour – with many young adults also visiting clubbing resorts in Europe specifically for the purpose of drinking heavily.

Lead researcher of the new study – Professor Subhash Pandey from the University of Illinois College of Medicine – said that not only does binge drinking when young increase the risk of alcoholism, but also anxiety.

“Our study provides a mechanism for how binge-drinking during adolescence may lead to lasting changes that result in increased anxiety and alcoholism in adults.”

He added that exposure to alcohol intermittently “degrades the ability of the brain to form the connections it needs to during adolescence”. Prof Pandey said that changes in the brain as a result of heavy drinking habits during adolescence could also result in behavioural changes which last into adulthood.

The Daily Mail reports that the team found tissue from the area of the brain called the amygdala underwent DNA changes – known as epigenetic changes – when rats were given alcohol. The amygdala controls mood and emotional behaviour, and responses to fear or acquired responses involving anxiety and fear.

Epigenetic changes are chemical modifications of DNA or of the proteins around which DNA is wound like thread on a spool, Prof Pandey explained.

The proteins – known as histones – can change how loosely or tightly the DNA is wound.

DNA wrapped tightly around the histones is less active than DNA wrapped loosely.

The rats exposed to alcohol had more tightly coiled DNA and the changes lasted into adulthood. They also had higher levels of a protein HDAC2, which modifies histones and causes DNA to be wound round them more tightly.

Prof Pandey said a cancer drug had been found to reverse some of the damage to DNA as a result of the effects of alcohol and may help reduce anxiety.

“We aren't sure if the drug needs to be given long term during adulthood in order to completely reverse the harmful effects of adolescent alcohol exposure,” he said.

The findings of the research are published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.

In the UK there have recently been calls to ban alcohol for those aged below the age of 21. NHS Scotland is considering introducing the ban in an attempt to reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions, which are putting A&E services under strain. The proposal involves limiting the sale of alcohol to those over 21 in pubs, clubs, supermarkets and off-licences in Scotland.

In England, the number of hospital admissions as a result of alcohol use among 15 to 24 year olds rose 66% to 150 a day between 2002 and 2010, after licensing laws were relaxed by New Labour.

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of mental health services – and our mental health solicitors regularly visit hospitals and police stations to advise on mental health law, including advising on access to NHS mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and our mental health team is available at short-notice for appointments across the country.

In some cases, Duncan Lewis may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate.

For expert help with mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors’ Helpline on 0203 114 1124.