New research shows people fail to seek help for depression
Three quarters of people in the UK experience depression occasionally or regularly yet only a third seek help, according to a survey by leading mental health provider Turning Point.
Women are more likely to feel depressed than men, with 80 per cent saying they regularly or occasionally feel depressed.
These feelings are accentuated at this time of year through a combination of factors including the arrival of Christmas credit card bills and the cold weather.
Money is the biggest cause of depression, with more than half of people saying they have been depressed about money over the past 12 months. Men are particularly likely to link their depression to the recession, whereas women are more affected by family or relationship issues.
Zelda Peters, Turning Point Director for Mental Health and registered psychiatric nurse, said it’s vital that mild depression is identified and treated early, before it spirals out of control and has a major detrimental impact on someone’s quality of life.
“We know that if diagnosed early mild depression can be successfully treated. If not, it can escalate and lead to unemployment or long term sickness, and even to negative behaviours such as drinking more, missing work or college and lying to family and friends,” she said.
One in three people in the survey said they hadn’t sought professional help as they felt they could cope on their own. Others were concerned about confidentiality and a fifth of people said they feel embarrassed.
Ms Peters says that people are also put off seeking treatment as they feel it won’t work.
“Whilst anti-depressants provide the right solution for some, others are worried about taking them and don’t realise there are a huge range of treatments beyond this on offer such as psychological therapies which provide effective long term relief,” she said.
“The way we can provide support is also changing. Turning Point’s psychological therapies programme, Rightsteps, helps people deal with common mental health problems like depression and anxiety and offers a range of ways to access support, such as a telephone counselling service.”
“Our survey showed that young people in particular are more likely to look for alternative ways to access information, with 15 per cent of 16-24 year olds going online,” Ms Peters said.
“There are many levels of mental health and these can differ from day to day and from person to person. It can really affect people and how they feel about their lives. If anyone is feeling low or depressed on a regular basis, help is available, it’s easy to access and does not involve a prescription.
“Psychological therapies can have a hugely positive effect on the lives of thousands of people across the UK and help bring back to their lives a genuine sense of wellbeing.”
- ends -
Statistics on Mental Health
- Depression is usually diagnosed using the nine item depression scale of the self-administered Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
- An estimated one in seven people will develop depression serious enough to need treatment at some point in their life.
- Between 8-12% of the population experience depression in any year - The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report (2001)
- 1 in 4 British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year, and one in six experiences this at any given time. The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report (2001)
- Across England around 31 million prescriptions are written for antidepressants every year.
Turning Point
- Turning Point is the country’s leading health and social care organisation and provides mental health, employment, learning disability and substance misuse services.
- Turning Point is one of the largest non-statutory providers of IAPT (Improved Access to Psychological Therapies)
- Rightsteps is Turning Point’s flagship IAPT service that offers new ways of delivering a more complete approach to psychological wellbeing. To find out more on IAPT and Rightsteps
vist our information page.
- The UK wide survey was conducted by Pollab on behalf of Turning Point from 14th – 20th January 2010. The sample size was 1,074.
Media contacts for further information or to arrange spokesperson interviews contact the Turning Point press office:
Nicky Blunt, 020 7861 3835 / 07786 938601
Kathryn Ager, 07834 321404