Mental Health Statistics - you are not alone!

Mental Health affects us all. How we think and feel about ourselves and our lives impacts on our behaviour and how we cope in tough times.

It affects our ability to make the most of the opportunities that come our way and play a full part amongst our family, workplace, community and friends. It’s also closely linked with our physical health.

Whether we call it well-being, emotional welfare or mental health, it’s key to living a fulfilling life.

 

The facts and figures around Mental Health in the UK are alarming. 

• 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year

• Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain

• Women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men

• About 10% of children have a mental health problem at any one time

• Depression affects 1 in 5 older people

• Suicides rates show that British men are three times as likely to die by suicide than British women

• Self-harm statistics for the UK show one of the highest rates in Europe: 400 per 100,000 population

• Only 1 in 10 prisoners has no mental disorder

  
 For further information go to: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-statistics/

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Anxiety and depression big problems among children

Most of us think childhood to be a time associated with a fun, carefree way of life. However, most children these days are being affected by problems like anxiety and depression. Increased competition that has increased performance anxiety and stress has been held responsible for this by the doctors.

To mark the ongoing mental health week, city branches of the Indian medical Association and Indian Psychiatric Society organized a conference to discuss the most prevalent mental health issues. Anxiety and depression among children was one of these topics.

"In the last two decades, there has been a tremendous rise in psychological problems in children. This is mainly because increased parental and personal expectations because of the competitive environment. Now-a-days, a child is not satisfied by topping the class through his hard work. He has to top the state or the country to be really happy about his achievement as there is globalization of competition too," said psychiatrist Dr Kausar Abbasi, adding "Teachers and the education system have become very demanding."

Dr Nilesh Shah, professor and head of the psychiatry department of Sion Hospital, Mumbai, believes that more than depression, anxiety has become a common affliction among children. "In every class, one or two children can be found who suffer from over-anxiety.

These children get worked up about small things specially before important events like examinations or outings, keep seeking reassurances, lose temper easily and can't sleep well. Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, aroma therapy can be used to help them relax when anxiety is triggered," he said.

Some of the other types of anxiety which are not very common include school phobia, separation anxiety disorder when a child does not wish to separate from a parent for the smallest amount of time, social anxiety disorder where social situations and selective mutism where certain special circumstances or people trigger anxiety in the child, he informed.

One of the reasons that the children are suffering from such problems is the comparatively easy life they have. "The frustration tolerance and tolerance limits of children are very low these days as they are getting all they want from a very early age. Anxiety in children can also manifest through behavioral problems like bed wetting and parents should be on the watch out for them," said psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Palsodkar.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Anxiety-and-depression-big-problems-among-children/articleshow/16716332.cms