The number of people suffering stress, anxiety and depression because of redundancies, job insecurity and pay cuts resulting from the recession is soaring, according to a study published by academics from Roehampton University and the children’s charity Elizabeth Finn Care.

Worries about the effects of the downturn have produced a sharp rise in people experiencing symptoms of common mental health conditions. The incidence of depression has jumped between four and five-fold as unemployment, cuts in hours and concern about security of tenure have become common, the report found. Among people who have lost their jobs in the last year, 71 per cent have suffered symptoms of depression, 55 per cent said the same about stress and 52 per cent experienced symptoms of anxiety.

Those ranked as being of middle socio-economic status were more likely to experience depression (59.8 per cent) than those from lower (44.9 per cent) or higher groups (46.7 per cent). Among those who had experienced a drop in salary or cut in their hours or days, 51 per cent said they had experienced symptoms of depression, 48 per cent said the same for anxiety and 45 per cent experienced stress symptoms. Those aged 18–30 were more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms than any other age group.

Mental health problems cost the UK about £110 billion a year, according to a recent report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the London School of Economics and the NHS Confederation’s mental health network. They found that demand for mental health treatment had increased during 2009 because of rising levels of debt, home repossessions, unemployment and threat of redundancy.

The Guardian