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"Mental ill health epidemic" behind anxiety surge
March
26, 2009
by staff reporter
......
The
UK's largest anxiety charity has reported a dramatic rise in the
number of people approaching the organisation for help.
Anxiety
UK's chief executive Nicky Lidbetter said the increase was due to
the "mental ill health epidemic" caused by the recession.
Calls
to the Anxiety UK helpline doubled and emails requesting support
were up 400% in the January/February period, said the charity.
Service
user-led Anxiety UK formed in 1970.
The
Anxiety UK helpline receives more than 16,000 calls a year from
people with phobias and anxiety.
Following
concerns of the effects, including job losses, of the recession,
the government announced earlier
this month that it is speeding up its access to psychological therapies
programme whereby 900,000 people with depression and anxiety will
be referred to CBT-trained therapists. Half would be cured, said
ministers.
The
government said it would invest an extra £13 million into
the programme which some have criticised for prioritising CBT over
other forms of psychological therapy.
See
also:
Service provision
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