The Human Cost Of The Recession Begs For More Services To Help Cope With Surge In Mental Health Problems, Says UK Charity MIND

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Depression;  Anxiety / Stress;  Mental Health
Article Date: 24 Nov 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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As the Conservative party today predicts that we will see a staggering 26% increase in the number of people experiencing mental health problems by 2010 as a direct result of Britain's economic crisis, leading mental health charity Mind says that more investment is needed in services to help cope with this potential surge.

Mind's Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:

"Financial health and mental health are inextricably linked. If people think that the recession is just about the cost to industry, then think again - it's also about the wide-ranging human costs. Job insecurity, redundancy, debt and financial problems are all proven to contribute to mental distress. As more people come face to face with these problems, there is no doubt that we will see an increase in depression, anxiety and stress. We need to make sure that these aren't the first steps up a one-way street by providing mental health support when people need it.

"All the indications are that next year we will see an increase in redundancies across more and more professions. As jobs are threatened and more people need to seek new employment, it's vital that we fight discrimination in the workplace so that people with mental distress are given an equal chance to stay in and find work.

"No one is immune to the recession, and no one is immune to the distress this can cause. It's never been a more important time to invest in mental health."

In May 2008, Mind published the report 'In the red: debt and mental health' which revealed that for people who already experienced mental distress, 91% said it made their mental health problems worse. We would encourage anyone struggling with their finances to talk about their concerns and seek advice and help. Mind recently launched a new section on it's website with advice on money management and where to get help: www.mind.org.uk/money

About MIND

MIND is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. We work to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress. http://www.mind.org.uk.