Tag: research

Alcohol policy measures could reduce ambulance callouts, study finds

New alcohol policy measures should be considered to reduce drink-related ambulance callouts, according to researchers studying data from Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The University of Stirling-led team made the recommendation after their study found that ambulance callouts related to drinking in licensed premises fell significantly during the first lockdown – but were replaced relatively quickly by alcohol-related callouts to homes.

Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, Director of the Institute for Social Marketing and Health at Stirling, led the study and believes its findings present policymakers with an opportunity to reflect on how to sustain the positive outcomes of lockdown for the NHS and emergency services – including a reduction in what paramedics described as “mass public intoxication” over weekends – but also tackling other issues, such as the increase in problems caused by drinking at home.

Niamh Fitzgerald

Professor Fitzgerald said: “During the pandemic, both in the UK and abroad, licensed premises – including bars, restaurants and nightclubs – faced significant restrictions, including closures and curfews, which helped to reduce spread of the virus. However, we know that these restrictions also led to many people drinking more alcohol at home.

“By looking at data from the frontline of the NHS – the Scottish Ambulance Service – and adjusting for the fact that ambulance callouts fell during this period for other reasons, our study shows that there were disproportionately large short-term reductions in alcohol-related callouts in April and May 2020, when licensed premises were closed, compared to the previous year.

“This was a situation that paramedics described as a ‘welcome break’ from the hostile, alcohol-fuelled scenes experienced in towns and cities on weekend nights pre-pandemic.

“However, we also identified public health risks caused by increased home drinking during this period – with those night-time callouts quickly replaced by alcohol-related ambulance callouts on all days of the week, likely to be linked to home drinking.

“For example, in June 2020, when premises were still closed and weekend night-time callouts for alcohol incidents were still lower, the proportion of alcohol-related callouts had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, there were 18,832 alcohol-related callouts at the height of the pandemic, in April to June 2020 – 16 percent of all callouts.

“Our findings suggest that policymakers here in Scotland, but also around the UK and abroad, need to consider how to build upon the lessons learned during the pandemic. As the night-time economy recovers, how can we avoid a return to pre-pandemic levels of alcohol-related callouts arising from the night-time economy, but also reduce callouts and harm from home drinking?”

Reduction in callouts

The research team – involving academics from ISMH and the University of Glasgow – analysed interviews with licensing stakeholders, to understand how COVID-19 has affected licensing and alcohol-related harms; explored the experiences of ambulance clinicians in further interviews; and conducted descriptive and time series analyses of alcohol-related ambulance callouts in Scotland, before and during the first lockdown.

Overall ambulance callouts for all causes between March and June 2020 – when lockdown was in place – decreased in comparison to the previous year. However, alcohol-related callouts fell much more sharply – with a 23% reduction in April 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. The drop was even more stark at weekends – down 31.8% – and at weekend night-times, down 48.9%.

After April, despite licensed premises remaining closed, the proportion of alcohol-related callouts gradually started to return to pre-lockdown levels. However, the resurgence in alcohol-related callouts was generated by calls spread throughout the week rather than concentrated at weekends, which still experienced substantially lower callouts in June 2020 than the previous year.

 “Massive drop” in alcohol related incidents

Ambulance clinicians reported that the number of late-night callouts relating to alcohol “plummeted” when premises closed completely or operated under a curfew. However, there were perceived increases in domestic callouts and concerns raised about home drinking.

One paramedic said that during this time there had been “nowhere near the same amount of public intoxication or mass intoxication… there’s been much less in the way of assaults that involve alcohol, unconscious people outside that involve alcohol, falls that involve alcohol. All these things we’ve noticed a massive drop in.”

Another said: “It’s so nice to go to work on a Friday night knowing that you don’t have to go into pubs and clubs… it’s made a huge difference”

Several reported that the reduction in alcohol-related calls meant that they were spending more time on other calls.

Dr Jim Ward, Medical Director at the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), said: “We will always respond to people in need regardless of cause, location, or time.

“However, heavy drinking both at home and when on nights out, as well as through chronic alcohol problems, not only increases the risk of accidents but can also lead to a rise in assaults, including those against ambulance staff.

“By drinking in a way that avoids harm, the public can support our hard working staff and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on our service and A&E departments at an extremely busy time.”

Policy implications

Professor Fitzgerald said: “The views expressed by paramedics are powerful and give pause for thought about whether business recovery post-COVID has to mean a return to the ‘mass intoxication’ described.

“This is surely an opportunity for politicians and clinicians to show leadership in pushing for better alcohol policies that protect the NHS and frontline services. At a time when policymakers want to support the hospitality sector, but also wish to protect health services, there is an opportunity to put in place win-win policies that can do both.”

The research team suggest that one such policy could be to increase the minimum unit price of shop-purchased alcohol to reduce consumption within homes without affecting prices in bars. Other possibilities discussed are restrictions on online sales and licensing changes.

The research teams are analysing separately if and how the 50p minimum unit price, introduced in Scotland in 2018, has impacted alcohol-related ambulance callouts, as well as exploring expert and stakeholder views on this and other ‘win-win’ policies.

The researchers used data from the ‘Evaluating the impact of alcohol licensing in England and Scotland (ExILEnS)’ project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s Public Health Research Programme; and the ‘Impact of minimum pricing for alcohol on ambulance callouts in Scotland (IMPAACT)’ and ‘Lockdown and Licensed Premises’ studies, both funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.

The new paper, Lockdown and Licensed Premises: COVID-19 Lessons for Alcohol Policy, is published in Drug and Alcohol Review.

Almost half a million explicitly antisemitic tweets per year

The Woolf Institute estimate there to be nearly two antisemitic tweets for every Jewish person in the UK

Analysis of data by the Woolf Institute, a global leader on interfaith relations, is presented in a new report by the Antisemitism Policy Trust and the Community Security Trust, which marks the end of an 18-month research programme to study the extent and nature of antisemitism online.

The report presents an estimate of the level of antisemitism on Twitter in the UK and based on research methods used, Woolf Institute analysis concludes there are between 100 and 1,350 explicitly antisemitic tweets every day in the UK. 

The findings estimate that there are up to 495,000 explicitly antisemitic tweets per year made viewable for UK users (tweets in English by and available to UK users). Given the size of the UK’s Jewish population at around 290,000 people, the report calculates there to be nearly two antisemitic tweets annually for every Jewish person in the UK. 

The Antisemitism Policy Trust, supported by the Community Security Trust, commissioned the Woolf Institute to explore anti-Jewish hatred on Google, Instagram and Twitter, and this publication represents the third and final instalment of that project.

The two previous reports found that Google’s public facing Safesearch facility has no impact on the amount of antisemitic content that is returned when people search for jokes about Jews.

Antisemitism is also extensive on Instagram, associated with a “chaotic” trolling phenomenon on the platform, and demonstrates strong links to conspiracy theories and anti-Israel attitudes. 

Danny Stone MBE, Chief Executive, Antisemitism Policy Trust, says: “Policies to deal with online abuse aren’t worth the paper they’re written on if companies cannot effectively enforce them.

“This new report makes it crystal clear that Twitter’s systems for discovering and acting against anti-Jewish racism still aren’t good enough. As the Government considers new internet safety laws, I hope this report will weigh heavily on Minister’s minds.”

Dr. Dave Rich, Director of Policy, Community Security Trust, says: “It has long been known that social media is the engine of modern antisemitism, and it increasingly features in the antisemitic incidents that are reported to CST.

“This new research not only demonstrates how widespread this is, but also shows exactly how the social media companies are failing to control the problem of anti-Jewish hatred on their platforms.”

Commenting on the overall findings, Dr Julian Hargreaves, Director of Research at the Woolf Institute, who has led the project, said: “Taken together, this series identifies and underlines that antisemitism persists on major social media platforms, and that either the tools for addressing it are not fit-for-purpose, or the public policies professed by the world’s leading social media giants are at best, poorly enforced and at worst, are completely ineffectual.

“Our reports identify that the systems – be they Safesearch, algorithms, or automated moderation are not doing their job. If antisemitism online and within our societies is to be effectively tackled and reduced, we will need platforms, in this instance acting as agents of harm, to better understand and to act upon what the evidence is clearly telling them.”

Using social media data analysis tools, the team were able to identify biographical and geographical characteristics of Twitter users posting tweets which matched the antisemitism research terms. 

The top 10 geographical locations were London, Manchester, Redcar, Liverpool, Glasgow, Brighton, north-west Leicestershire, Oxford, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.

APT-Twitter-Report-2021-Draft-3Download

The full report on Twitter is available at https://antisemitism.org.uk/research-reports/

The Google and Instagram reports are available at: https://antisemitism.org.uk/research-reports/

For more information on the Woolf Institute visit: https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk

For information about the Antisemitism Policy Trust visit: https://antisemitism.org.uk

For information about the Community Security Trust visit https://cst.org.uk

Research grant for Edinburgh project investigating new drug which could prevent injury to the heart after heart attack

A research project at the University of Edinburgh, led by Professor Gillian Gray, has been awarded £88,000 by Heart Research UK. Prof Gray’s team has discovered that a drug originally developed to treat obesity and diabetes also promotes repair of the heart after a heart attack and reduces the development of heart failure.

Now the team will use ‘mass spectrometry imaging’ (MSI) to look in more detail at the effects of the drug on the heart muscle.

Heart attacks occur when the blood flow to the heart is interrupted, causing damage that can weaken the heart and lead to heart failure. The new drug that has been discovered acts early after heart attack to prevent the spread of injury in the heart muscle and therefore has the potential to benefit many patients.

As obese and diabetic people are at higher risk of heart attack, the combined actions of the drug on the heart, fat and insulin make it particularly appealing.

The drug has already undergone safety tests in volunteers, so could now rapidly progress to human trials. However, the research team will first need to show that this new drug offers benefits over existing drugs used to treat heart failure.

To do this, the team will use MSI to further investigate the effects the drug has on the heart. It is anticipated that this will provide unique evidence that the biochemical pathways in the heart muscle affected by the drug are distinct from those affected by drugs already used to treat heart failure.

MSI uses a laser to collect samples from slices of tissues. Levels of substances in the body like cortisol and cholesterol breakdown products, that we expect to change after a heart attack and in response to the drug, can be measured in each spot targeted by the laser. This information can then be used to build a map of where they are found.

The MSI group, led by collaborator Professor Ruth Andrew, have already used this technique to visualise and measure activity of the enzyme targeted by the drug in the brain, liver and kidney.

They will prepare thin sections of heart muscle and use the laser to capture samples from injured areas and compare these to samples from healthy areas. MSI has enormous potential for helping to understand biochemical pathways in the heart but has never been systematically applied to heart tissue before.

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: “We’re very happy to be able to award one of our Novel and Emerging Technologies Grants to Professor Gray and her team.

“This project will generate novel MSI data from heart tissue which will provide vital information on how the drug affects the heart, and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

You can read more about and apply for Heart Research UK’s Research Grants here.

Public attitudes on litter revealed ahead of national consultation

Scottish public see litter as a national problem

New research from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has revealed the depth of the perceived litter problem across Scotland. 88% of survey respondents believe that litter is a problem nationally, while 70% believe it is an issue in their local area.

Worryingly 38% of respondents reported litter becoming more common, especially in urban areas over the past 12 months too.

This reflects our on the ground national litter surveys which recorded a higher number of locations with unacceptable amounts of litter than last year. We previously highlighted the scale of the challenge facing Scotland in our report ‘Time for a new approach to tackling litter’ published at the end of 2020.

The publication of ‘Scotland’s Litter Survey’ – the first comprehensive baseline assessment of public perceptions and attitudes towards litter and littering behaviour in Scotland – comes in advance of the publication of a consultation paper by the Scottish Government on a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy before the end of the year.

The survey covered public attitudes to litter, changes in levels of litter, the wider impacts of litter and potential options for tackling litter.  The outputs will be used to inform our work nationally and locally with communities, local authorities and other stakeholders to drive practical action to improve local environmental quality, reduce consumption and tackle litter across Scotland.

Other key stats highlighted by the survey include:

  • Food and drink packaging were perceived to be the most frequent types of litter.
  • The environmental impacts of litter, particularly on the natural environment and animals, top people’s concerns with financial and economical impacts a less potent concern.
  • Young people deemed litter to have a larger impact on the natural world than other age brackets.

Positively, there was a clear appetite from those surveyed for greater action to tackle and prevent litter in Scotland, with particular support for improving waste disposal facilities and educational campaigns.

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented: “The findings in this report reinforce our data collected from more than 10,000 locations across Scotland which has shown an increase in litter and decline in the local environmental quality of our neighbourhoods. 

“We know from those we support through our campaigns and programmes to tackle litter that the looming litter emergency is becoming closer – but we also believe that the real answer to tackling the issue lies within our communities and true collaboration.

“It is clear that people feel strongly about litter and want more done to tackle which is why I am clearly calling for people to make their voices heard on litter and contribute positively to the Scottish Government consultation over the coming months.

“Litter hasn’t stopped.  But neither will we.”

littering-in-scotland-survey-2021-final-071221Download

New Foresight Project launched to support UK’s 2050 net zero target

The UK Government Office for Science has launched a new Foresight Project to help inform the government’s long-term net zero strategy.

The report titled A net zero society – scenarios and pathways follows the COP26 summit in Glasgow where global leaders convened to outline coordinated action to tackle climate change.

The UK government has committed to achieve net zero by 2050 which is essential to keeping global temperature rises limited to 1.5C.

Societal norms, practices and behaviours will play a significant role in emissions reduction, but these are uncertain and likely to change in the future. This project will provide the evidence and tools to help understand how behaviours could impact net zero.

Patrick Vallance, the government Chief Scientific Adviser, said: “If we are to keep warming below 1.5C, changes within society will matter as much as big technological changes. Through this research, we can understand the impact of potential societal changes on our path to achieving net zero.“

This project, due to run until late 2022, will produce an expert evidence review and a set of future scenarios and their implications for the energy system and for different groups within society.

Scottish researchers investigate new treatment for diabetes to combat sight loss

Researchers in Scotland are investigating a new treatment for diabetes which they hope could reduce one of the most common complications of the condition – sight loss.

The team of scientists, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), are aiming to find new ways of preventing diabetic retinopathy (DR) and have been given a grant of £286,000 for the study, which is being led by Professor Mirela Delibegovic in collaboration with clinical colleagues Professor John Forrester and Dr Lucia Kuffova at the University of Aberdeen.

People living with cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure can develop a condition called retinal microvascular disease and this is increased in the presence of diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Those with DR develop damage, often permanent, to the retina – the light-sensing layer inside the eyeball – and as a result, are at risk of losing their sight.

People in the UK known to have diabetes are offered retinal screening once a year to detect signs of changes in the retina caused by DR. This new project aims to identify physical signs of DR when they occur, but before they lead to loss of vision, and to help find treatments to prevent it from developing.

Professor Delibegovic (above), who is the Director of the Aberdeen Cardiovascular Disease Centre at the University of Aberdeen, explains: “Given its nature, DR is a significant and worrying complication of diabetes and so it is important that we understand more about it and find ways to reduce and prevent it.

“In addition, as Type 2 diabetes – the most common type of diabetes – can often go undetected and undiagnosed for many years, up to 40% of people with Type 2 diabetes already have signs of DR when they are first diagnosed with the condition. Being able to intervene sooner could make a real difference for people living with diabetes.”

Over the next 3 years, the team will investigate if inhibition of an enzyme, called PTP1B, will lead to protection against retinal microvascular disease and diabetic retinopathy.

The BHF is the largest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland and this project is one of more than 100 research projects currently underway in ten universities across Scotland.

James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “This is an important project which could benefit patients living with heart and circulatory disease and diabetes. As such, it is vital we understand more about diabetic retinopathy.

“Research projects like this one in Aberdeen help inform how we treat patients, identify those at particular risk and ultimately find new ways to save and improve lives.”

For more information on the BHF’s life saving research and the work of the BHF visit www.bhf.org.uk

Urban greenspace benefits deprived and ethnic minority communities, research finds

While urban greenspace is often associated with improved mental health, new research has found the benefits are dependent on the characteristics of the population using the space – and their proximity to it.

Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) looked at the link between greenspace and prescription rates to treat mental health disorders across all Scottish towns with more than 10,000 residents.

They found a significant relationship between mental health and the amount of urban greenspace in areas with high proportions of people from black and minority ethnic and/or in areas of high deprivation.

However, the link between lower prescription rates and greenspace in these communities was only evident when looking at those spaces in the immediate neighbourhood. When considering greenspace within a 30-minute walk, no significant relationship was found between greenspace and mental health disorders.

This suggests that the mental health benefits of greenspace for these groups occur where it is closest to home – with previous research finding they are often the least likely to use their nearest greenspace.

Researchers found no significant relationship between mental health and green space in all other population groups.

The research, which has been published by the Urban Forestry & Urban Greening journal, will provide valuable information for urban and land-use planning, where decisions are taken at the population level.

The lead author Dr Michaela Roberts, Environmental Economist at the James Hutton Institute, said: “Our work supports the broad supposition that greenspace and mental health are positively related, and adds further support for the need to understand a populations’ relationship with greenspaces, to ensure urban greening achieves the highest gains for communities.”

Co-author Alistair McVittie, Ecosystem Services Economist at SRUC, said: “Our results highlight that the relationship between greenspace and mental health relies not only on the presence of greenspace itself, but also on the characteristics of the population using the greenspace.”

The research was funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division.

Charity thrilled after receiving incredible donations via post after lockdown clearouts

The British Heart Foundation has received high value and unique donations via its postal donation service

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has received an array of high value and rare items through its freepost donation service, helping to raise funds for life saving research.

The UK’s largest charity retailer was delighted to be sent treasures, ranging from incredible World War Two memorabilia, OMEGA watches and designer clothing, to electric guitars and the newest phones, cameras and gaming consoles.

The charity believes the boost in these eclectic donations can be credited to the nation decluttering during lockdown and the convenience of its freepost donation service. This service allows people to send smaller quality donations for free, by simply downloading a freepost label via the BHF’s website and dropping to a local Collect+.

These one-of-a-kind items went on to be sold on the charity’s eBay store, helping to raise just shy of an incredible £70,000 in just five months, for research into heart and circulatory diseases.

Allison Swaine-Hughes, Retail Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the thousands of UK households who have and continue to dig out some of their very best preloved items and post them off to us.

“We’ve been thrilled to receive such a vast array of high value and collectable items from vintage Lego sets, Sigma camera lenses, to Vivienne Westwood shirts and a collection of Hornby Dublo tin trains, via our freepost donation service.

“Our team of experts at eBay are trained in recognising the true value of donations so everything auctioned on the site goes for the absolute best price.

“We rely on the generosity of the public whose donations of quality items deliver much-needed stock for our shops and online outlets. Every item sold helps raise funds for life saving research. That’s why we are appealing to the nation to keep donating unwanted pieces to us and take on our Declutter Challenge, so we can support the 700,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland.”

This September, the charity is calling on the nation to have a clear out and donate any quality preloved and unwanted items by taking on its Declutter Challenge.

Donating to the BHF couldn’t be easier. Simply drop your items to one of BHF Scotland’s 76 shops and stores, send them straight to the charity via its free post donation service, or arrange a free collection.

Every item sold by the BHF in store or online, through the charity’s eBay shop and Depop site, will be turned into funds for life saving research. 

The charity retailer says its shops are particularly keen to receive winter wear to sell throughout the coming season as well as clothing, jewellery, toys, books and vinyl, and larger items such as sofas, furniture, homewares, tech and electronic gadgets.

Take on the Declutter Challenge this September:

Declutter and donate today at: www.bhf.org.uk/declutter  

From MND patients to the Prime Minister: We need your help NOW


MND letter relays the country in bid for £50 million from UK Government

Doddie Weir OBE and Euan MacDonald MBE have kickstarted a nationwide ‘MND letter relay’ from Scotland to 10 Downing Street. The letter, which has already been signed by hundreds of motor neurone disease (MND) patients from across the country, calls for the UK Government to invest in MND research.

United to End MND – a campaign led by charities MND Scotland, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and MND Association, as well neurologists and people living with MND – calls for £50 million of UK Government funding over five years to target MND research.

To catapult the campaign, patients throughout the UK have now written and signed a personal letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which will be presented at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday 21st September, by rugby legends Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast to launch activities on Thursday, Doddie said: “We are continuing to fight to try and make a difference, and to try and find a cure for this horrific issue of MND. The UK has the best researchers in the world and at the moment we’re nearly there to find a stoppage or a cure.

“So this letter, and the money from the Government, will make a massive difference. This will give a lot of hope to people with MND. We need to take it to the next level and with that we need the Government’s help.”

Before his departure to London, Doddie is leading the charge by sending the patient letter on a relay across the nation, to encourage more people living with MND to sign it, starting with fellow MND campaigner, Euan MacDonald in Edinburgh.

Euan, who has MND, is the co-founder of the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research. He was joined there by Dr Suvankar Pal, Consultant Neurologist from the University of Edinburgh and Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, who are showing their support for the letter.

The letter states ‘MND is a death sentence’ but that ‘research has now reached a point where a cure or life-saving treatments can be found’. It continues ‘The current piecemeal and protracted approach of funding individual projects will not deliver the life-saving treatments we need …we urgently appeal for action and investment now’.

Euan said: “I very much believe the goal of finding treatments for MND is achievable. The letter and supporting statements highlight the personal impact this disease has had on families like mine and others up and down the country. 

“We are trying to ensure other people’s children, spouses, parents and siblings don’t have to go through what ours have. I’d like to appeal to the Prime Minister to back MND patients and have confidence in UK Science achieving what may have previously seemed impossible – a cure for MND.”

Currently the UK Government’s funding for targeted MND research stands at less than £5 million a year, which the campaign coalition says is not enough. £50 million from the UK Government over five years would fund a virtual institute for MND Research, providing the infrastructure needed for accelerating treatments for MND.

The funding bid has already been debated in the UK Parliament after a petition to garner public support gathered more than 100,000 signatures in just three weeks. Members of the campaign coalition have met with key politicians to explain the desperate need for the cash, to shore up the investment made by charities and industry.

With the support of MND charities and neurologists, campaigners are now taking the call directly to Downing Street and people living with MND still have the opportunity to add their signature here: patientsunited2endmnd.org.

Dr Suvankar Pal, the Co-Lead Investigator of MND-SMART, the UK’s biggest drug trial for MND, said: “This is an exciting time for MND research with many centres across the UK working on important areas ranging from drug discovery to delivery of treatment trials.

“We fully support this initiative which promotes collaborative working and much needed investment in research with the aim of delivering new treatments for MND in a timely way.”

Rachel Maitland, MND Scotland’s Chief Executive, said: “We are united here today to ensure the voices of those living with MND are heard by the UK Government.

“The average life expectancy for someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. People like Doddie and Euan do not have time to wait, and neither does our search for a cure.

“MND Scotland’s vision is a world without MND. But we are only able to fund the pioneering research taking place at the Euan MacDonald Centre, and other institutes across the UK, because of the generosity of our supporters. MND isn’t incurable, it’s just under-funded. Together, we will beat MND, but we cannot do it without the UK Government’s support.”

To find out more about the campaign visit www.mndscotland.org.uk/united or tweet your support @MNDScotland @MNDAssoc and @MNDoddie5 using #United2EndMND.

From Digital Disasters to Face Masks: Research reveals the biggest communication barriers

  • A new study has revealed the biggest modern communication barriers for Scots
  • The survey, conducted by modern hearing specialist Hidden Hearing, revealed that conversing digitally can be a huge barrier, with just under a fifth of Edinburgh adults having fallen out with someone after misreading a text message
  • But communication barriers can occur in-person too, with the biggest barriers revealed to be several people talking at once, background noise, struggling with face masks, people talking too quietly or fast – all of which are linked to your ability to hear
  • 36 per cent of those from Edinburgh are currently worried about a family member’s hearing, and worry their relationship would suffer if left untreated
  • One in ten local adults put off making a call to family members as they are worried about their own, or the other person’s hearing
  • GP and medical broadcaster Dr Hilary Jones said, “People want to communicate better, but they aren’t recognising that some of the biggest barriers are linked to hearing loss. When you struggle to hear, communication can become challenging, and feelings of frustration may arise, which is why getting regular hearing tests is so important.”

New research by high street hearing specialist Hidden Hearing has revealed the biggest modern communication barriers – from digital disasters to face masks.  

The research revealed that a fifth (18 per cent) of those from Edinburgh have fallen out with someone after misreading text messages, with just one in five also admitting they can spend ‘hours’ puzzling over someone’s wording or tone in a text trying to work out if they are actually annoyed or joking.

Nationally, undetected sarcasm (42 per cent) was revealed as the most common miscommunication, followed by jokes being taken the wrong way (41 per cent) and misunderstanding the tone of the message (36 per cent), leading to one fifth wrongly assuming someone was in a mood with them.

Adults are most likely to over analyse texts and emails from work colleagues (35 per cent), followed by a partner (20 per cent) or a love interest (13 per cent).

Hear this: The biggest communication barriers revealed

But communication barriers don’t just happen digitally, they can occur in-person too, with the biggest barriers being several people talking at once (39 per cent), background noise (39 per cent), face masks (38 per cent), people talking too quietly (37 per cent) or fast (32 per cent) – all of which are linked to hearing loss. 

“People want to communicate better, but they aren’t recognising that some of the biggest barriers are linked to hearing loss,” said GP and medical broadcaster Dr Hilary Jones.

 “When you struggle to hear, communication can become challenging, and feelings of frustration may arise, which is why being proactive and getting regular hearing tests is so important.”

Additionally, mumbling was revealed to be the most frustrating communication habit (41 per cent) – however thinking someone is mumbling is common sign of hearing loss – so the issue is likely to be with the listener rather than the ‘mumbler’. 

The survey revealed that men struggle to hear more than women, with the average male struggling to hear nearly once a day, in comparison to women who have difficulty hearing 273 times a year.

One in three people believe hearing is critical for a conversation to flow, however over 50 per cent of those who experience hearing loss choose not to have their ears tested, highlighting that the issue is being ignored.

Hearing loss: It’s a family matter

More than 2 in 5 (41 per cent) adults put off calling people as they are worried about their own, or the other person’s hearing, with 17 per cent revealing that they have experienced a communication breakdown with a friend or family member because of a hearing loss. Shockingly, 45 per cent of adults’ struggle to hear someone speaking at least four times in a week.

Over one third (35 per cent) of people feel untreated hearing loss is frustrating for everyone involved in the conversation.

When it comes to the best place for conversation to flow – sitting around the family dinner table came up tops, as chosen by a third.

Dr Hilary Jones said, “If you, or a family member, are finding it hard to keep up with conversations when socialising, it may be a sign of hearing loss.

“Taking a hearing test and wearing hearing aids can help you listen better, feel connected and tune into conversations. Hidden Hearing’s 5-minute online hearing test can provide an immediate insight into how well you, or a family member, can hear.”

Time to embrace face-to-face

Nearly one third (31 per cent) of Brits reported feeling frustrated as a result of digital miscommunication, as well as anxious (27 per cent) and stressed (25 per cent). Feelings of anxiety were especially apparent in the younger generation, with 41 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds stressing over a text or email, in comparison to 1 in 10 over 55s.

Nearly one quarter (23 per cent) have waited to say something to someone in person to avoid it being misunderstood over text – even if it meant waiting weeks to have the conversation.

The OnePoll nationwide study of 2,000 adults found that a huge 79 per cent believe face-to-face is the best way to talk to someone, rather than through a gadget, with 41 per cent of adults believing that ‘people these days have lost the art of communication and rely too much on technology.’

The top phrases Brits would most like to hear in person rather than over a phone were ‘I love you’ and ‘Will you marry me?’ – both selected by 44 per cent of respondents. Nearly one third would also much rather be broken up with face-to-face, rather than over the phone.

The main benefits adults find in having conversations in person include being able to look someone in the eyes (51 per cent), paying attention to body language (47 per cent) and finding it easier to note tone (46 per cent).

Dr Hilary Jones explained: “Spending time with your loved ones or friends, especially in-person as opposed to digitally, has a profound positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing, wellbeing”.

“In person communication enables us to understand tone, pay attention to body language, and feel better connected, reducing feelings of frustration, depression and anxiety, shown to be the most common feelings from miscommunication. These feelings can be heightened even more for those who struggle to hear.”

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The biggest communication barriers

Several people talking at once
Background noise
Face masks
People talking too quietly
People talking too fast
Language barriers
Zoning out of the conversation
Difference of opinions
Misunderstanding or misinterpreting a written message (e.g. email or text)
Not understanding jargon or vocabulary
Not understanding the tone of voice or intention behind a written message
Multi-tasking
Hearing problems
Fear of how the other person would react
Social distancing 
The best places to communicate

At home
Around a family dinner table
On holiday
Outside in nature
In a restaurant or café
On the sofa
On a walk or bike ride
Over a shared hobby
In bed
While drunk
Via phone calls
While driving
At work
Via text message
In a meeting room