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
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Mind
Helpline: 0300 123 3393
Papyrus Suicide Prevention
Helpline: 0800 068 4141
Text: 07860 039967
Email: pat@papyrys-uk.org
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
Email: hello@switchboard.lgbt
CALM
Campaign Against Living Miserably
Helpline: 0800 585858
Beat Eating Disorders
Helpline: 0808 801 8677
Text SHOUT to 85258
OK Rehab
Use text from https://www.OKrehab.org/about-us/
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
C.A.L.L. Self-Assessment http://callhelpline.org.uk/SASelfAssessment.asp
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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