Nearly one fifth of UK adults experience anxiety or depression, according to the latest official figures from The Office for National Statistics.
Office for National Statistics says highest rates of anxiety and depression occur in the 50-54 age groups and highest amongst women. At the Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy we have specialists that work solely with hypnotherapy for anxiety and depression. The demand is so high that they are busy all the time. However, they are seeing clients from as young as 16 up to clients in their eighties.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that more women than men reported that they suffered from the conditions.
The study showed anxiety or depression was present in 19% of people aged 16 or over, with 21% of women reporting the symptoms and 16% of men.
The divorced or separated were more likely to have symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety and/or depression, with 27% showing signs of the conditions compared with 20% of those who were single, cohabiting or widowed and 16% of those who were married or in a civil partnership.
The ONS also revealed that 38% of those who were unhappy with their health had some indication of anxiety or depression, compared with 11% of those who declared themselves to be satisfied with their health.
The study was part of the ONS Measuring National Wellbeing programme, which surveyed 40,000 households between 2010 and 2011. The figures released in June 2013 come from the general health questionnaire, which asked 12 questions about respondents’ levels of self-confidence, stress, depression and self-worth.
The ONS said the types of mental illness recorded on the questionnaire did not include severe mental disorders.
The latest figures released as part of the wellbeing study also showed that 66% of people in the UK were satisfied with their health. In those aged 80 or older, satisfaction with health fell to 53%.
Paul Howard, anxiety specialist at the Surrey Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy, said, “There seems to be very little help available for anxiety and depression on the NHS. The wait for counselling or CBT can be months and these interventions can have limited effect. However, by using hypnotherapy for anxiety we can change the underlying beliefs that create and maintain the anxiety which has a profound effect on the anxiety levels experienced by our clients. Hypnotherapy can help many people that have had anxiety for many years back to a normal and relaxed lifestyle.”