Questions to Health Ministers by Adrian Sanders MP have revealed that the Government may not be aware of the effects of the recession on mental health.
Recent research conducted by mental health charity Rethink showed that almost half of people feared suffering from declining mental health as a result of the stress and worry of the recession and that one in four people will suffer from mental health problems at some point in their lifetime.
NHS mental health services could be put under increasing strain as home repossessions, unemployment and financial difficulties lead to depression, family break-up and a number of related problems.
As yet the impact of what sociologist Emile Durkheim described as ‘the malady of infinite aspiration’ can only be measured anecdotally. In the US, where the credit crunch has hit deeply, mental health problems for financial workers, including suicide, have increased.
Adrian said: “Not enough attention is being paid to the devastating effect of the recession on people’s mental health. The Government should at least know what it is up against so it can channel NHS resources where they are best needed. Improvements in mental health treatment have been considerable in recent years but the threat posed by the recession could place a heavy burden on services.”
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