Mental Health: Statistics and role of NHS in Tackling the Issue in the UK
Mr Gilmore, a 42-year-old owner of a successful hotel chain, feels constantly pressured. He has a fortune in his multiple accounts, a loving wife, a beautiful boy, and good friends. Yet he is not happy, and he could not point out why.
Lisa, a 24-year-old who recently passed out from Yale with a degree in economics, bagged a well-paying job in her first interview but could not drag herself to the office.
David is a genitor. He is under tremendous pressure. A constant struggle with money issues led him to contact a direct lender for bad credit personal loans. He has been having suicidal thoughts, but he puts on a brave face in front of his family and goes to work while dealing with depression.
All these people, Mr Gilmore, Lisa, and David, are of different ages and financial statuses, yet all three share a common problem. They all are struggling with mental health issues.
People often refrain from sharing their mental health issues, especially at their workplace, because of fear of being stigmatised. The need to put on a brave face can overwhelmingly aid the depression.
People worldwide struggle with mental health issues. As per a survey, in the UK alone, almost two-thirds of respondents say they have dealt with a mental health issue at some point in time.
It was also noticed that people below the age of 35, women, and young adults are more prone to mental health issues. Panic attacks have become the most frequent form of manifestation of mental issues. The current state of mental health is increasing at an alarming rate.
Today we discuss the sensitive topic of mental health and what the NHS is doing to address the issue. Read along.
Mental Health
The term mental health refers to the cognitive and emotional well-being of people. It all comes down to how you think, feel, and act in a stressful scenario. Like another body part, our mind can also fall ill and need interventions.
People nowadays are more aware and accepting of mental issues, which is good. People in the UK cite the reason for being mentally sick to get a leave. According to the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey, people were comfortable declaring mental health issues at the workplace as well.
However, the percentage of people who are comfortable talking about mental health is still very little. There’s a good chance your neighbour or the person who sits in the cabinet next to you is struggling with the issue but is worried about how it will damage their career.
The stigma behind the mental issue still prevails, and people fear inaccurate judgments from society.
Occurrence of Mental Health Problems in the UK
To address how widespread are mental health issues, the government often conducts surveys. A Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing in England was conducted for people aged 16 and up. As per the reports, one in every six adults struggles with sadness or anxiety.
Women were shown to be more likely than men to suffer from common mental illnesses such as anxiety, stress, and depression. It might also be noteworthy that prevalence has risen after 1993.
However, most of these issues are far from severe, and only a very small percentage show incidence of bipolar disorder or other psychotic disorders. PTSD or Post-traumatic stress disorder was also detected along with Suicidal thoughts, as per the report.
Pandemic Induced Issues
During the coronavirus epidemic, as you can expect, depression was relatively common.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the regularity of modest or severe depressive symptoms among grown persons in the United Kingdom increased after the pandemic started.
Between July 2019 and March 2020, the ascendancy was 10%, but by June 2020, it grew to 19%, and by January to March 2021, it developed to 21%. Clearly, a big reason to worry.
Money Matter?
Money is a controversial subject; people express mixed thoughts about it. Money can’t buy happiness, they say, yet some conditions associated with money issues have been cited.
Apart from not having money being an issue, sometimes people feel terrible about spending money even though they can afford it. They are apprehensive about checking bank accounts.
People feel embarrassed about their financial needs and rather sleep with an empty stomach than ask for help. On the other hand, people supporting someone financially are also not spared from feeling anxious.
People also feel exhausted or worn down, dealing with financial difficulties for a long time. In addition, having a past money struggle may lead to other issues in the future even after having plenty of it.
Therefore, to summarise, mental stress can sneak from any other way, money or no money.
Role of NHS
National Health Service or NHS in the UK system is doing some superior work to deal with mental healthcare. However, according to a recent study conducted by the NHS, mental health services in England are still inadequate and need to do better.
NHS provides mental health services for free to the citizens of the UK. These services include psychological therapy and counselling, drug and alcohol abuse, children’s mental health, and eating disorders.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative, run by NHS England, has helped many who are struggling with common mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
You can learn the details about these services on the NHS website.
Conclusion
Around 2/3rd of receivers in the United Kingdom say they have dealt with a mental health problem. Panic episodes are the most common symptom of mental illness. People in the United Kingdom are claiming mental illness as a reason for taking time off.
The disgrace associated with mental illness still exists, and people are afraid of making incorrect judgments. Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the prevalence of moderate or severe depressive symptoms among adults in the United Kingdom increased.
The NHS provides free mental health care to all people of the United Kingdom. Psychological therapy and counselling, drug and alcohol misuse, children’s mental health, and eating disorders are among the services provided. Money is a contentious topic, and individuals have differing opinions on it.