In the UK, 6 in 100 people have generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and 8 in 100 have mild anxiety and depression (1).
These people are struggling with the cost-of-living for a range of reasons, from worrying that they will not be able to make ends meet to worrying that their mental state could deteriorate to the point of relapsing in their existing addiction, or developing an addiction (2).
That being said, even people without serious mental health problems are experiencing anxiety due to the high living costs in the UK over the past year. Our infographic looks at the general experience of anxiety at this time, both in people with and without anxiety disorders.
Low income individuals are the most likely to be worried about the cost-of-living crisis, so our infographic shows a trend in decreasing anxiety as the average wage increases.
For example, 26% of people with a salary of £30,000-£40,000 are very worried, 53% are somewhat worried, and 5% are not at all worried. However, people with £50,000 or more per year are less worried, with only 12% of them being very worried, and 12% not at all worried.
Of people who are unemployed, 36% are very worried, which may be expected due to fears of poverty and homelessness, and potential problems with a lack of identity (3).
Check out our infographic for more interesting statistics, some of which will come as no surprise, and others which will be completely unexpected. We aim to show our readers that the problem of mental health is severe in the UK, and the cost-of-living crisis is a huge reason behind this.
References
[1] Mental health facts and statistics https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/
[2] The cost-of-living crisis is a health emergency too https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/blogs/the-cost-of-living-crisis-is-a-health-emergency-too
[4] View the page ‘alcohol rehab and detox in Kent’
[3] What Happens to Your Mental Health When You’re Out of Work for Over a Year? https://psychcentral.com/health/mental-health-effects-of-long-term-unemployment#loss-of-identity
