Survey and Population Research uses large-scale surveys and population datasets to understand alcohol use, alcohol reduction, help-seeking, alcohol-related harms, and public attitudes towards alcohol policy.

About the Research

Not all alcohol research takes place in laboratory settings. Survey and population research enables us to understand drinking behaviour, motivations for change, help-seeking, and attitudes towards alcohol-related issues across large and diverse populations.

Researchers within OxBAR-Lab use both bespoke survey methods and established datasets to answer important public health questions relating to alcohol consumption, alcohol reduction, help-seeking, and the use of other psychoactive substances. Through this work, we seek to better understand health behaviours across different populations and identify opportunities for prevention, harm reduction, and behaviour change.

Global Drug Survey

The Global Drug Survey (GDS) has played a significant role in the development of OxBAR-Lab research. Through longstanding collaborations with international researchers, the survey has provided opportunities to explore alcohol use, alcohol-related regret, help-seeking, alcohol health information, neurodivergence, and harm reduction in large international samples.

We are grateful to our Global Drug Survey collaborators for their generosity, expertise, and commitment to open and collaborative research. Current and past collaborations include researchers from UCL, University of Queensland, University College London, UNSW Sydney, Curtin University, RMIT University, King's College London, and other institutions across the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia. 

Recent collaborative projects have explored:

• Alcohol use, regret, and help-seeking among people with ADHD, autism, and AuDHD. 

• Drug and alcohol use among autistic and non-autistic adults. 

• Alcohol and mental health among anabolic-androgenic steroid users.

• Experiences of drink and needle spiking among respondents from 22 countries.

• Alcohol use and reduction among transgender and non-binary communities. 

• Psychedelic use, mental health, and harm reduction.

Alcohol Toolkit Study

The Alcohol Toolkit Study is a large monthly survey of health behaviours in England. Using these data, OxBAR-Lab researchers are examining alcohol reduction attempts, motivations for change, help-seeking behaviours, and predictors of successful alcohol reduction among mid-life and older adults in the UK.

DRIVE-ID

Drink-drive Risk, Information, and Views Experiment – Identity Dynamics

DRIVE-ID examined public support for lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales and explored how different ways of framing policy information influence public attitudes towards alcohol policy reform.

Emerging Research Areas

Alongside our alcohol-focused work, we are increasingly interested in understanding the relationships between neurodivergence, substance use, mental health, and help-seeking. We are also involved in research exploring the use of other psychoactive substances, including psychedelics, cannabis, ketamine, and image and performance-enhancing drugs, with a particular focus on harm reduction and public health.

Current Status

• Global Drug Survey collaborations: Ongoing

• Alcohol Toolkit Study analyses: Ongoing

• DRIVE-ID: Manuscript under review

Find Out More

Preregistrations

• DRIVE-ID 10.17605/OSF.IO/P6SDH 

• Global Drug Survey 2024 10.17605/OSF.IO/UFKHR  

Publications

Bonenti, B., Puljévic, C., Ferris, J., Davies, E., Winstock, A., Shorter, G. W., Ganson, K., Barnett, A., Nagata, J. M., & Piatkowski, T. (2026). Clinical mental health diagnoses among anabolic-androgenic steroid consumers classified as low-risk or hazardous drinkers: a brief report. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 61(4), agag047. https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agag047

Connolly, D. J., Davies, E., Lynskey, M., Maier, L. J., Ferris, J. A., Barratt, M. J., Winstock, A. R., & Gilchrist, G. (2022). Differences in Alcohol and Other Drug Use and Dependence Between Transgender and Cisgender Participants from the 2018 Global Drug Survey. LGBT Health. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2021.0242

Davies, E. L., Piatkowski, T., Frankovitch, A., Puljević, C., Barratt, M. J., Ferris, J. A., & Winstock, A. R. (2024). Exploring Experiences of Drink and Needle Spiking Incidents Among Global Drug Survey Respondents from 22 Countries. Journal of Drug Issues, 00220426241248613. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426241248613

Davies, E. L., Puljević, C., Winstock, A. R., & Ferris, J. A. (2024). Regrets, I’ve Had a Few: Exploring Factors Associated with Getting Drunk and Regret in an International Study of People Who Drink Alcohol. Substance Use & Misuse, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2024.2302140

Smith, G., Piatkowski, T., Ferris, J., Bonenti, B., Davies, E., Barratt, M. J., Morgan, C., Winstock, A., & Puljević, C. (2026). Self-treatment of psychiatric conditions using ketamine: Patterns, characteristics, and retrospective insights. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 40(6), 933-944. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811251378509

Wilmut, K., Chigevenga, R., Puljević, C., Farah, B., Barratt, M., Ferris, J. A., Winstock, A. R., & Davies, E. L. (2026). Distinct Drinking Patterns, Help Seeking, and Alcohol-Related Regret in ADHD, Autism, and AuDHD. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-025-01617-9