New figures show that more women are suffering from mental health problems, reports The Independent.

The number of women being referred to a NHS psychiatrist is rising faster then men. In the last year the number of referrals rose 3.4%, with over 70% of that number being made up of women.

The figures, published by the NHS Information Centre, also showed that since the mid 90s there has been a rise of around 12% in the number of women who experience depression or anxiety, but no increase in the figures for men.

It’s believe the rise has been caused by women living longer, and having to juggle work and family responsibilities, which has become even more difficult due to the recession.

A survey carried out in 2003 by the charity Women at the Crossroads showed that money issues are a worry for many, particularly due to divorce, lower pay, and being expected to do more round the home.

Read more about women’s mental health 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.”

Read more here…

The number of debt enquiries has doubled over the past decade, according to Citizens Advice.

The charity now deals with an average of 7,241 new debt problems every day and on average, people who went to Citizens Advice seeking help last year were £16,971 in debt. The number of redundancy enquiries handled by Citizens Advice also doubled between April and November last year.

David Harker, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “We have seen an enormous rise in the number of people turning to us for help because they have lost their job, and we can expect to see many more people struggling with severe debt problems as the recession continues.”

More than 300 Citizens Advice centres in England and Wales are extending their opening hours from now until March 2010 to assist an estimated 600,000 extra clients.

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The percentage of women suffering from a mental health disorder is rising, according to an article on the Guardian website.

An NHS report reveals that one if five women suffer from some kind of anxiety or depression. The percentage of women aged 16-24 with a common mental disorder has risen from 19.1% to 21.5%. There was also a large increase in women aged 45-64. The type of distress women experience also depends on age, with younger women more likely to suffer from an eating disorder.

It’s thought there could be a variety of reasons for the increase, including women deciding to have children later in life, the stress of being a single parent, and having to juggle many different responsibilities.

Read the rest of the article here…

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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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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The credit crunch is already affecting most of us, and for those in debt crisis who are struggling with debts and meeting repayments, this can be a scary time. Free, personal help is extremely important and the sooner help is sought, the better. But where do you go to get the right help?

Non-profit debt counselling with someone who is paid to help you on a one-on-one basis is often the first place to start if you’re in debt crisis. CCCS, National Debtline and Citizens Advice Bureau all offer free advice and they’ll be able to show you how to prioritise the most important debts and may even set you up on a debt management plan.

Unfortunately it can sometimes take a while to get an appointment so using the information on their website can help while you wait. There are also local debt counselling charities such as Christians Against Poverty that may be able to help.

For those who are not in debt crisis, but would like to talk to someone about their financial situation, there are debt counsellors who will charge an hourly fee to set up a debt management plan (they will also be able to deal with stress, anxiety and depression which financial problems can often cause).

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