Emotional and Mental Health
Mental health is essential to a person’s health and well-being. Mental health problems are found in people of all ages, regions, countries and societies. This webpage can provide you with information that can help you to look after your own emotional and mental health as well as how to help others.
Adults
1 in 4 British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year, and one in six experiences this at any given time.
- The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report (2001)
Between 8-12% of the population experience depression in any year
- The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report (2001)
Children
Estimates vary, but research suggests that 20% of children have a mental health problem in any given year, and about 10% at any one time.
- Lifetime Impacts: Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health,
Understanding the Lifetime Impacts Mental Health Foundation (2005)
Older Adults
Depression affects 1 in 5 older people living in the community and 2 in 5 living in care homes.
- Adults in Later Life with Mental Health Problems,
Mental Health Foundation quoting Psychiatry in the Elderly
(3rd edition) Oxford University Press (2002)
There are a wide variety of things which contribute to experiencing such problems but there are also a range of things which people can do to help prevent and improve any difficulties.
It is important that awareness is increased about possible contributors to mental health problems, recognising signs and symptoms and also how to improve these symptoms and help prevent any problems from becoming worse.
The more of the things you do the more your mental well-being can benefit and the less likely you are to develop a mental health problem. However, this does not exclude the possibility of experiencing such problems, as it varies from person to person and depends upon life events.
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