A Liverpool-based charity has spoken out following a decline in GP diagnoses of depression in England.
The Office for National Statistics published a 24% decrease in GP diagnoses of depression and a 30% decrease of all GP diagnoses in 2020.
Mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, were ‘saddened but not shocked’ by the figures.
Founder and CEO, Jake Mills said: “We know that there are many barriers that come between people feeling unwell and seeking help.
“Add to that the fact that 2020 is a year where people are being told to stay at home, reduce travel, isolate and stay away from people and public places.
“More people than ever have felt that they shouldn’t bother health professionals with anything other than Covid-19 related problems.
“Stress, anxiety and depression are the number one cause of Long-Term Sickness in UK, so it should come to no surprise to anybody that there is a lot more that can be done to support the mental health of staff.”
The charity created a mental health training programme called Ambassadors of Hope in 2018.
The training programme targets mental health awareness so that workplaces and organisations can spot when someone is in need of help and support.
Jake added: “Right now, there has never been a more important time to discuss wellbeing with your employees to ensure everybody is as healthy as possible and those who aren’t know how to seek support.
“We have come a long way over the last 10 years in talking about mental health, with more people than ever feeling comfortable speaking about their issues.
“But awareness in itself isn’t the answer as the number of suicides across the UK continues to soar.
“Awareness is important, of course, but while awareness has grown, funding and mental health services has stagnated, meaning people become aware, maybe look for support and are met dangerously high thresholds and ever-growing waiting lists.”
Visit Hub of Hope for more information on mental health services in your community.
