A study from graduate researcher, Amany Tanyos, is shedding light on the often-overlooked harms experienced by people living with a heavy-drinking partner.
“Heavy alcohol use is closely linked to intimate partner violence and related harms,” Amany explains. “It can also affect emotional wellbeing, family responsibilities, financial security and relationship stability.”
Women are disproportionately affected, with these impacts often contributing to relationship deterioration or breakdown. Despite this, relatively little is known about what everyday life is like for people living with a heavy-drinking partner.
Amany’s study addresses this gap by offering a more nuanced understanding of alcohol-related harm within intimate relationships.
“We found that alcohol-related harm is not a single event, but a pattern of interconnected and recurring experiences,” she says. “These include emotional distress, financial strain, communication breakdown, increased caregiving responsibilities and socially inappropriate behaviour.”
Importantly, the research highlights that alcohol should not be treated as an excuse for violence, but as a factor that can intensify harm within relationships.
Amany says she hopes the findings will inform prevention strategies, behaviour change programs and improved support services.
