Mental Health: The Facts

Mental healthcare was a key point of debate in the 2015 General Election and it's no surprise with as many as 25% of the UK's population affected.

But while much of the stigma surrounding mental health has been lifted in recent years, many still don't fully understand how common conditions including depression, social anxiety and OCD can be.

How common is it?

Around 25% of the UK population will have a mental health problem in the course of a year.

Some 10% of children have mental health conditions, often leading to irritable behaviour and poor school results.

9.7% of the UK population suffer from a mix of anxiety and depression, making this the most prevalent mental health condition in the country.

Eating disorders affect about 1.6% of Britons.

What can be classed as a mental health disorder?

While most people will be aware of common conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as high-profile disorders like schizophrenia, many aren't aware that the following also count as mental health problems:

• Antisocial personality disorder
• Binge eating disorder
• Phobias
• Bulimia
• Body dysmorphic disorder

What symptoms can mental health issues cause?

Although the main effects of mental health issues are often psychological, conditions like anxiety can also cause the following physical side-effects that are often overlooked, or blamed on other health problems:

• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Insomnia
• Hot flashes or chills
• Hyperventilation
• Trouble breathing
• Shaky or unstable hands

*However, these issues may be caused by a physical condition and should be investigated by your doctor.

How does it affect healthcare providers?

It is estimated as many as 70% of NHS nurses suffer a physical or mental health issue related to workplace stress.

In London NHS Acute Trusts in 2013, 57,156 working days among nurses were lost due to stress and other mental health issues.

66% of ward nurses claim they are short-staffed, often due to stress among employees.

Three-quarters of nurses claim they work more than their allocated hours, leading to exhaustion.

Join the conversation online using #goodmentalhealth or visit www.medacs.com/goodmentalhealth to find out what we are doing to raise awareness of Mental Health around the world.

Looking for Mental Health Jobs?

Our Specialist Mental Health division was set up for the unique needs of healthcare professionals practicing in the mental health field. We work exclusively with CAMHs, Substance Misuse specialists, Clinical Psychologists, CBT Therapists, Psychotherapists, Psychiatrists and Mental Health Nurses across the UK.

Our specialist mental health recruiters know the market inside out and are specially trained to meet the unique needs of our mental health professionals.

Check out our Specialist Mental Health microsite here or find out more about our locum psychiatry jobs.