\n\t\t\t\t\tAlmost a quarter of women and around one in seven men suffer at least one common mental health condition\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
More than one in five adults in England have a common mental health condition \u2013 with women more likely to be affected than men.<\/p>\n
The first Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey<\/a> in nine years has found that the nation\u2019s mental health is worsening, with almost a quarter (24.2 per cent) of women suffering at least one condition and 15.4 per cent of men. Generalised anxiety disorder and depression were the most prevalent conditions recorded.<\/p>\n The survey also provided an insight into the groups most likely to have a common mental health condition (CMHC).<\/p>\n More than a quarter (25.8 per cent) of younger adults<\/a>, aged 16 to 24, now have a CMHC \u2013 up from 17.5 per cent in 2007. Younger adults were also more likely to report lifetime non-suicidal self-harm and to screen positive for PTSD and ADHD than older age groups.<\/p>\n However, younger women are particularly at risk with 36 per cent of 16-24 year olds reporting a CMHC. The next closest at risk age group for women is 35-44 year olds, 28.7 per cent of whom have at least one condition.<\/p>\n The most at risk group of men is 25-34 year olds of whom 20.8 per cent have at least one CMHC. For younger men the figure is 13.5 per cent.<\/p>\n Living in the most deprived fifth of areas was associated with an increased prevalence of common mental health conditions, suicide attempts and PTSD. CMHCs are more prevalent in the most deprived fifth of areas (26.2 per cent) than in the least deprived fifth of areas (16.0 per cent).<\/p>\n Financial problems also played a part in diagnosis. People with problem debt were twice as likely to have a CMHC as those without, while those who were unemployed and economically inactive were more likely to have a condition than those in employment.<\/p>\n Regional disparities in CMHCs were evident, with people in the north-east (24.6 per cent) and East Midlands (24.6 per cent) more likely to have a condition than those in the south-east (16.3 per cent) and south-west (18.7 per cent).<\/p>\n \u2018Data shows now is not the time for benefits cuts\u2019<\/p>\n With welfare cuts still on the horizon<\/a>, Mark Winstanley, chief executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said the findings show that \u201cnow is not the time to reduce support\u201d and that \u201cmaking vulnerable people poorer\u201d will do nothing to stop the circle of debt, unemployment, deprivation and mental health many people are caught in.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone claiming that increased awareness is the sole cause is burying their head in the sand,\u201d he warned. \u201cWhat we need is a sensible public debate about the root causes of people\u2019s struggle, because poor mental health holds people back, ruins futures and imposes an untold cost to the public purse.\u201d<\/p>\n The Government is pressing ahead with reforms to the benefits system in order to \u201cfix the broken welfare system\u201d, despite a looming rebellion by Labour MPs<\/a>. <\/p>\n