Despite those suffering with depression now being offered many more options for treatment, the cost of antidepressants in Scotland has soared to £40million, reports The Times.

3.9 million prescriptions for antidepressants were issued last year, and there was an increase across every area in Scotland. The Western Isles saw the biggest increase with a rise of 7.7%. Milton in Glasgow is ‘the most depressed’ area, with antidepressants being prescribed to one in five residents.

The opposition parties in Scotland have highlighted this as a failure for the current government, who pledged to try and reduce the use of antidepressants. They are calling for more funding for alternative methods of treatment, such as counselling, to try and combat the problem, as well as tackling the causes of depression, such as unemployment and poverty.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: “As a first step we have set a target to reduce the growth in prescribing of antidepressants to zero by 2010.Latest figures show an 11% increase in the numbers of mental health staff in the past year, which will result in improved access to talking therapies in NHS Scotland.”

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Research shows that children whose fathers suffer from mental health problems are more likely to suffer themselves, reports the BBC.

Reviewing previous research, the team from Oxford University said too much emphasis had been placed on mothers’ mental health rather than fathers, as mothers are considered to provide the most childcare. However, with shifting roles within the family, fathers often now have more of an impact on their child’s upbringing.

The children of parents who are depressed after the birth are more likely to experience emotional or behavioural problems. A child is also ten times more likely to develop bipolar disorder if their parents suffer from it.

It’s also thought that boys are affected more by their father’s mental health than girls, particularly if the father suffers from alcohol addiction.

Professor Paul Ramchandani, who led the team re-analysing the research said: “Fathers are more involved in child-rearing in countries including the UK than they used to be. In years gone by, if fathers were depressed and distant it may not have made much of an impact. We now need a more general understanding of what effects psychiatric problems in fathers can have on children.”

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GPs are failing to let those suffering with depression know about all the treatment options available to them according to a new study, reports The Independent.

The study carried out by the Depression Alliance, entitled Daring To Choose, surveyed 513 people diagnosed with depression, and revealed that only a third had been told there were other treatment options besides anti-depressants.

There is now pressure on the Government to make sure GPs are informing patients about self-help groups and psychological treatments, as well as anti-depressants. 70% of those surveyed felt that had not been given enough information about the possible side-effects of taking anti-depressants.

The Government has already invested £173m to be used over the next three years to help improve psychological therapies.

The chief executive of Depression Alliance, Emer O’Neill, said: “Choice is not a reality for most people with depression and anxiety. While there are some excellent GPs and some well-informed patients, there are huge numbers of people who are sinking because they are brushed off, not taken seriously and walk away from the doctor empty-handed apart from a prescription.”

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New Government plans to regulate psychotherapists have caused division, reports the Independent.

The proposals by the Government call for Britain’s 50,000 psychotherapists to be regulated, ensuring clients are protected. However, therapists themselves are now split - some believe that these precautions are necessary, whilst others believe the Government’s plans will hinder how they carry out their work.

The demand for therapy has increased as more people face mental health problems and turn to it as an alternative to medication.

Psychotherapists would be required to register with the Health Professions Council, which also regulates physiotherapists. The British Psychoanalytic Council support the proposals, however the Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy has strongly opposed them, saying the plans would: “medicalise the field, rigidify training and inflate the cost of therapy, reducing access”.

The proposals themselves are proving difficult to finalise, and one draft included 450 rules, however therapists are expected to be able to begin registering this summer.

Read more opinions on the proposals here…

As children continue to experience a rise in mental health problems, teachers are calling for more counsellors, reports the Guardian website.

Exam pressure, family breakdowns and pressures to achieve the media-formulated ‘perfect body’ are all contributing to a deterioration in children’s mental health, causing anger, low self-esteem, irritability and lack of concentration.

Research carried out by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers of over 700 school staff found that they were spending more time than ever helping children through emotional problems. 70% said they believe children face more pressure than they did ten years ago, with 80% attributing it to exam pressure, and three quarters blaming family break ups.

Whilst 73% of schools do have a counsellor, some believed they were over-stretched and unable to deal with the rising demand for them.

Read more of the survey findings here…

The recession has triggered symptoms of depression in those facing unemployment or money worries, so the government is to announce new plans for more counselling and ‘talking-therapy services’ reports the Guardian.

The plans include a new NHS Direct hotline where people can talk to trained therapists as well as more advice available in job centres and doctors surgeries.

There is a fear that those suffering from the credit crunch may suffer from long-term mental illness such as depression and anxiety and therefore struggle to find employment, causing more worry and stress.

Health secretary Alan Johnson said: “In the current economic downturn, the potential exists for more people to become anxious or depressed. If someone is feeling down after losing their job, the best solution is a new job and we are helping people find them wherever possible. But, in some cases, depression and anxiety can be a barrier to getting another job.”

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The BBC is making an animated documentary, exploring the challenges we all face in relationships and family life.

They are looking for people who are trying, or have thought of trying, relationship or family therapy.

They are aware that this is a sensitive issue and the advantage of the animation is that it gives a degree of anonymity. Only people’s voices would be used in the documentary.

Whether you’re having a difficult time with your kids, not getting on with your partner or just finding relationships tough, whatever the scale of the challenges in your relationships, they would like to hear from people who have tried or would like to try to address these difficulties.

If you would like to find out more, in confidence and without any commitment to taking part in the project, please call Vanessa on 0208 008 4974 or email vanessa.stockley@bbc.co.uk.

It’s already been reported that the financial crisis is putting a strain on relationships, but a report in the News & Star today paints a more worrying picture.

The Lancashire and Cumbria branch of counselling charity Relate say they have seen an increase in domestic violence cases, with money worries causing people to lash out a loved ones, and their Chief Executive says: “It is undoubtedly the worst time for break-ups.”

Other charities are also experiencing record numbers of domestic violence cases, particularly over the festive period. Penny Scott from the charity Let Go says: “Usually this is a very quiet time for reporting domestic violence because people want to get Christmas over and done with first, but this year we struggled to cope. While there is no concrete evidence as of yet, we’re getting the impression that the rise in violent incidents is connected to financial worries.”

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With unemployment set to rise, more and more relationships are coming under strain when the power relationship shifts, reports The Times.

When jobs are cut, it’s men who often feel worse, with worries of not being able to provide for their family, and having to rely on their partner as the sole bread winner. Despite women now being on a far more equal footing than men in the work place, it’s the age old stereotype of the man being the held of the household that comes under fire.

Corinne Sweet, a psychologist, says: “Apart from the financial pressures this brings, it also brings a total shift in dynamics within relationships, with men feeling emasculated and unable to provide for their partners or family and lots of added pressure on women to bring the money in.”

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A survey commissioned by Sainsbury’s has shown that a third of ten to 11 year olds are worried about the credit crunch, reports the Scotsman. A growing number of primary school children are asking to talk to counsellors about money worries, having picked up on the anxiety of their parents and families and through the media.

Children are worried that parents will lose their jobs, resulting in moving house and there not being enough money to go round, with the child taking on more of an adult role in the family.

Rebecca Quinn, who works in schools in some of Edinburgh’s most deprived communities says: “Even young children have picked up on parents’ financial concerns, but the problem appears to have been magnified by the credit crunch”, added Miss Quinn. “Parents would be surprised by how much children worry about this kind of thing.”

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The government has announced extra funding to help children caught in the middle of family break ups, reports The Guardian.

An extra £60 million will be put into 1500 schools for counselling services and peer mentoring, as well as £5.5 million for local support for couples going through a separation.

With 350,000 children experiencing family break ups and separation it’s hoped the extra money will help provide them with they support they need. The children’s secretary Ed Balls said: “Too often in the past we have focused on supporting adults when they are breaking up but we have not thought enough about the impact on children. We are pioneering a new approach here in thinking about this particular group of vulnerable children.”

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New figures released today show the extent of the increase in demand for housing, debt and couples counselling, reports The Telegraph.

The recent economic climate has seen people struggling holding onto jobs and homes, and the financial burden can put a strain on relationships.

155 local authorities were surveyed, and 93% said there had been an increase in demand for debt counselling, as well as a 69% increase in requests for housing advice and a 17% increase for relationship counselling.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, the chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “These figures demonstrate the effects the credit crunch and the recession are having on families across the country.

“From fears about debt to cash worries putting strains on relationships, people are feeling the pinch.”

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With an increasing number of people having debt counselling, the new credit card rules may have come too late to help many, reports an article at Times Online.

The new rules mean that customers will be given more warning when they have missed a payment on their credit card, and be informed earlier about interest rate increases.

The new measures won’t come into effect into January 1, and Malcolm Hurlston, of the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, says “regrettable but inevitable” that for many people there would be an increase in rates before January 1, doing little to alleviate the burden this Christmas.

However, the new rules have generally been well received, and it is hoped many will reap the benefits next year, helping to ease the nation out of it’s debt.

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Having counselling may double a women’s chance of surviving breast cancer, a new study has shown. An article in the Telegraph reports that helping patients to improve their mental health, giving them advice on telling friends and family about their illness and dealing with tiredness.

The study, carried out by the Ohio State University, followed 227 breast cancer patients over a period of eleven years, half of whom were given counselling sessions. The number of those who died in the group that received counselling was half that of the group that didn’t.

Professor Barbara Andersen, a key figure in the research and trails said: “The results suggest that we can help breast cancer patients make positive steps that may help them live longer.”

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According to an article over on the Guardian, mental health services are being ignored by the NHS.

The Healthcare Commission reported in its annual review that the NHS is performing better than ever. However not all waiting times are measured: the report ignored the lack of access to areas of care in mental health, with some referrals for psychological ‘talking’ therapies taking up to two years.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has been recommending psychological therapies for people with a range of mental illnesses for years, however according to Rethink, 68% of people with schizophrenia are not getting this treatment.

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