Anxiety is a type of fear usually associated with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, but can also arise from something happening right now.
In 2013, there were 8.2 million cases of anxiety in the UK.1
In England women are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders as men.2
The one-week prevalence of generalised anxiety in England is 6.6%3
Be Mindful Online is an online mindfulness course offered by the Mental Health Foundation. Research on the online course in 2013 found that for the 273 people that completed the course, there was, on average, a 58% reduction in anxiety levels
Depression
Depression is a common mental disorder that causes people to experience depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration.
Depression is the predominant mental health problem worldwide, followed by anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
In 2013, depression was the second leading cause of years lived with a disability worldwide, behind lower back pain. In 26 countries, depression was the primary driver of disability.
In 2014, 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and over showed symptoms of anxiety or depression - a 1.5% increase from 2013. This percentage was higher among females (22.5%) than males (16.8%).
Bipolar
Bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression) is a mood disorder. Symptoms are extreme mood swings from high to low.
Bipolar is the fourth most-common mental health problem worldwide after depression, anxiety and schizophrenia
In 2013, there were almost 4 million cases of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, in the UK.
In 2014, younger people were more likely to have bipolar than older people - 3.4% of 16-24 year olds screened positive but only 0.4% of 65-74 year olds screened positive.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a serious disorder of the mind and brain but it is also highly treatable - yet the facts around it make for alarming reading.
For every £1 spent on early intervention psychosis teams that work with young people in their first episode of schizophrenia, £18 is saved.1
Aerobic exercise, such as using the treadmill, walking or cycling, performed for 30-40 minutes, three times a week for at least a 12 week period, was effective at improving mental health outcomes in people with schizophrenia.2
The average per person cost of lost employment (including service costs) due to schizophrenia and related conditions for those aged 45-64 is estimated at £19,078, while costs for those aged 15-44 were just under £30,000.3
Stress
Results of the Mental Health Foundation's 2018 study The study was an online poll undertaken by YouGov, and had a sample size of 4,619 respondents. This is the largest known study of stress levels in the UK.
In the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Age differences
30% of older people reported never feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope in the past year, compared to 7% of young adults.
Behavioural effects
46% reported that they ate too much or ate unhealthily due to stress. 29% reported that they started drinking or increased their drinking, and 16% reported that they started smoking or increased their smoking.
Psychological effects
51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed, and 61% reported feeling anxious.
Of the people who said they had felt stress at some point in their lives, 16% had self harmed and 32% said they had had suicidal thoughts and feelings.
37% of adults who reported feeling stressed reported feeling lonely as a result.
Causes of stress
36% of all adults who reported stress in the previous year cited either their own or a friend/relative's long-term health condition as a factor. This rose to 44% of adults over 55.
Of those who reported feeling stressed in the past year, 22% cited debt as a stressor.
For people who reported high levels of stress, 12% said that feeling like they need to respond to messages instantly was a stressor.
49% of 18-24 year olds who have experienced high levels of stress, felt that comparing themselves to others was a source of stress, which was higher than in any of the older age groups.
36% of women who felt high levels of stress related this to their comfort with their appearance and body image, compared to 23% of men.
Housing worries are a key source of stress for younger people (32% of 18-24 year olds cited it as a source of stress in the past year). This is less so for older people (22% for 45-54 year olds and just 7% for over 55s).
Younger people have higher stress related to the pressure to succeed. 60% of 18-24 year olds and 41% of 25-34 year olds cited this, compared to 17% of 45-54s and 6% of over 55s).