08 April 2011

Increasing Frequency Of Financial Worries May Be Linked To Rising Number Of Cases Of Depression

A number of indicators are revealing a possible link between worrying about money and depression.

Over the past four years the number of prescriptions issued for Prozac has risen by 40.0%. GPs have said that more and more people are contacting them citing debt or job fears as the cause of problems ranging from anxiety to full blown depression.

One commentator said that GPs expected mental health problems to become more common in times of economic difficulty.

One problem is that medicating a patient may help deal with the symptoms of depression but it does not tackle the root of the problem. If people are suffering from depression due to their financial circumstances then they need help with that too.

The government needs a two pronged approach to these kinds of issues: The NHS can treat the patient and the social services should advise people on financial issues.

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