More than a quarter of people feel worse mentally this winter than last year
More than a quarter of people (27.8%) feel worse this winter than they did in the previous one, indicating that Britain’s mood is not improving despite the much-talked of economic recovery, a survey has found.
The survey by social care organisation Turning Point also found that 32% of people planned to cope with the pressures of Christmas by putting on a brave face and pretending to be ok, despite the fact that they were not.
But it seems that many people are still reluctant to talk about their feelings. Only 1 in 8 (12.5%) of those questioned said they would open up and talk to someone else at this time of year in an attempt to cope with the pressures of Christmas. Those aged 16-24 were most likely to share their feelings while over 55s were the least likely age group to talk to others.
On a more positive note, the number of people who said that they would drink more than they normally would to cope with the pressures of Christmas is down. In 2012, more than 9% of people said they would drink more than they normally would to cope compared to 4.8% in 2013. The age group most likely to drink to cope with the pressures of Christmas were those between 35-44 years old, while people aged 16-24 were least likely to drink to cope with the pressure.
Dr Felix Davies, managing director for mental health services at Turning Point said the findings of the survey were “a real concern.”
“We must create a situation where people are confident and comfortable seeking help to support their mental health and wellbeing when they need to,” he added.
“We also need to ensure that the right support is easy to find and available when people seek it. We know from the services Turning Point provides that many people find this time of year very hard. We’d therefore recommend to anyone feeling low or anxious picking up the phone and talking to someone, whether it be a friend, family member, GP or a talking therapies service. We need to ensure that people of all ages are aware of talking therapies and that services are available in all areas across the country so that no-one is left to cope alone.”
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