Research conducted by University College London (UCL) has revealed that men and women of lower occupational grades experience a faster deterioration of health in later life. The study was carried out on 10,308 civil servants aged between 35 and 55, over a period of 20 years.

While mental health was found to improve at a later age, the research also found that the rate at which it improves was slower for those who worked in lower levels of employment. Researchers have voiced their concerns about how their findings will affect the UK’s ageing population and how it will have important implications for government policies tackling health inequalities.

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Controversial new laws which will allow mentally ill people with severe or violent personality disorders to be held against their will even if they haven’t committed a crime are to be debated in the Commons later today. Ministers say the proposals will help to keep the public safe, but this has been attacked by the Tories, the Lib Dems and mental health experts, who argue the new bill will prevent sufferers from seeking help.

In an article over on the BBC Website, Shadow health minister Tim Loughton said “this will only add to the stigma of mental health. It will drive people underground and prevent people from getting the help that they need.”

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According to an article on the BBC News Website there is talk of raising the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Statistics show that alcohol-related illnesses have doubled in the last ten years to 262,844 cases per year and that people suffering injuries due to too much alcohol consumption has again doubled to 148,477 a year.

There has also been a 20% rise in hospital admissions from underage drinkers misusing alcohol. The UK has one of the worst problems in Europe with one in five children aged 11-15 drinking at least once a week.

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Research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation has revealed that almost 80% of people in the UK have at least two friends who have experienced mental distress. However, nearly half of those suffering from mental distress said they were ashamed to admit their problems to friends as they were worried about what they would think.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of Mental Health Foundation, emphasised how important friendships can be: “People who feel mentally unwell might find it hard to discuss how they’re feeling but friends can provide support”. According to the research, six out of ten people suffering from mental distress reported that when their friends did find out, they were concerned, and 47% offered support.

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