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  • Writer's pictureAnita
    • Dec 21, 2023
    • 3 min read

The Mental Health Crisis in Numbers



One in four of us experience stress, anxiety or depression at some point each year. If you add to that all of those who:

-       suffer with general life anxiety

-       have seasonal depression

-       have not sought help and/or have not been diagnosed

 

That adds up to pretty much most of us at some point.


Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the UK, and a major contributor to coronary heart disease and other serious illnesses. Half of all work-related ill health and lost workdays are due to stress, anxiety or depression. Around 300,000 people in the UK lose their jobs each year due to depression.


One of the contributing factors to depression is loneliness. Almost half of adults report feeling lonely. Loneliness and poor social connections can be as bad for our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and could increase our risk of death by 26%. By 2025/26, over two million people over the age of 50 will report feeling lonely; and the annual cost to public services of loneliness, social isolation and disconnected communities is estimated to be around £32bn per annum.


If left untreated, stress, anxiety and depression can lead to more serious mental ill health, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. One in five of us will have suicidal thoughts at some point. For 16-24 year olds, this rises to one in four, and almost 20,000 children and young people are admitted to hospital each year as a result of intentional self-harm. The leading cause of death for people aged 5-34 in 2020 was ‘intentional self-harm’ and men aged 40-49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK


Yet shockingly, 75% of people with a diagnosable mental illness receive no treatment at all. Sadly, around 6,000 people in the UK go on to take their own lives each year. That's over 16 people per day. Worldwide, someone takes their own life every 40 seconds.


By the time you’ve finished reading this, four people will have taken their own life.


If you or someone you care about is struggling, you or they don't have to do it alone, please reach out or pass on these helpline details:


HELPLINES

 

Anxiety UK

Helpline: 03444 775 774

Text support: 07537 416 905

(open Mon-Fri 10:30-16:30)

 

Samaritans

Helpline: 116 123

 

Mind

Helpline: 0300 123 3393

 

Papyrus Suicide Prevention

Helpline: 0800 068 4141

Text: 07860 039967

 

Childline

Helpline: 0800 1111

 

The Mix

Helpline: 0808 808 4994

Text: THEMIX to 85258

 

Saneline

Helpline: 0300 304 7000

 

Shout

Text Shout to 85258

 

Pieta

Support for suicide and self-harm

Tel: 1800 247 247

Text Help to 51444

 

Turn2me

Text 50808

 

Cruse Bereavement Support

Helpline: 0808 808 1677

 

Refuge Domestic Violence support

Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

 

Switchboard LGBT+

Helpline: 0800 0119 100

 

CALM

Campaign Against Living Miserably

Helpline: 0800 585858

 

Beat Eating Disorders

Helpline: 0808 801 8677

Text SHOUT to 85258

 

OK Rehab

 

Clic

Free online mental health support community

 

NHS – tips for coping with depression

 

NHS – tips for coping with stress

 

Self Injury Support for women and girls

Tel 0808 800 8088

 

Personality Disorder

 

Beat Eating Disorders

 

Able Futures – Access to Work Mental Health Support

Tel 0800 321 3137

 

Shout

Text ‘shout’ to 85258

 

Mental Health Foundation

 

CAMHS Resources for Children and Young People

 

Kooth

 

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide

Tel 0300 111 5065

 

KIM Mental Health in the Community

Tel 01352 872189

 

Pre And Post Natal Depression Advice and Support http://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/

Tel 0808 1961 776

 

WALES

 

For help in a crisis please contact the CALL helpline on freephone 0800 132 737 / text ‘help’ to 81066 or call the Samaritans on 116 123.

 

C.A.L.L. – mental health helpline for Wales

Freephone 0800 132737

Text 81066

 

Silvercloud – free online mental health therapy

 

Anglesey Community Mental Health Support Services

 

Tel: 01248 752752 / 750057 (or for out of hours tel: 01248 353551)

 

Community Mental Health Teams Wales

 

Ican – Together for Mental Health

 

Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline

Tel 0808 808 2234

Text DAN to 81066

 

Hafal

 

DPJ Foundation – mental health support in agriculture

TTel 0800 587 4262

 

Developing a Caring Wales

 

Veterans Wales

Tel 029 2183 2261

 

Meic Cymru for Children and Young People up to age 25

Tel 0808 80 23456 Text 84001

Time to Change Wales

 

Advocacy Services North East Wales (ASNEW)

 

 

 

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