There are many underlying reasons why people end up in counselling rooms needing help with mental health issues, but money problems are often a significant factor.
With the cost-of-living crisis rumbling on, it may come as little surprise that the strain has affected some people badly. A survey commissioned by British Gas and carried out by OnePoll in connection with musician and mental health advocate Professor Green has highlighted how the economic situation is damaging more than just bank balances.
It found that 27 per cent of the 2,000 adults polled felt the impact on their finances had badly impacted their wellbeing.
Although the worst affected cities were Leicester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, London was also one of the places with a large decline in wellbeing.
Many people felt down because they were having to cut down on things they enjoyed or were good for their physical health, such as gym memberships, healthy food and social events.
In addition, 40 per cent fear the winter because of the potential cost of energy bills they may face, with one in ten people saying the rising cost of energy bills has added to stress levels.
Professor Green said the biggest impact could be faced by parents who feel terrible about struggling to provide for their children. He remarked: “As a parent your first instinct is to protect and provide, and when you’re doing everything you can, and that’s still not enough, it has a profound impact on your mental health.”
Such sentiments show it is not just the direct stress caused by worrying about having enough money that people need to be concerned with; it is also the sense of shame in struggling and the isolation that cutting back on socialising can cause that also harms mental wellbeing.
The concerns were expected to get worse when the latest inflation figures came out, with most experts expecting a rise from last month’s 6.8 per cent rate. Instead, it has fallen slightly to 6.7 per cent.
Even so, for many, this will not be enough to unravel the strain the crisis has produced.
