Mental health in Glasgow: Study reveals why people don’t ask for help and support

Why do so many Glaswegians with mental health problems suffer alone without reaching out for help?
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With official figures showing rates of depression doubling in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s an increasingly important question.

Now new research shared exclusively with GlasgowWorld reveals the reasons vary from community to community.

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The study by the international non-profit Surgo Ventures, funded partly by the UK government, involved a survey of more than 17,000 people across all parts of the country.

What did the research find?

The research reveals that:

Almost half (49 per cent) of Glasgow respondents meet the threshold for further clinical assessment for either anxiety or depression

Some Glaswegians feel embarrassed or ashamed about their mental health struggles.Some Glaswegians feel embarrassed or ashamed about their mental health struggles.
Some Glaswegians feel embarrassed or ashamed about their mental health struggles.

One in five do not believe or know if depression and anxiety are mental illnesses

The same amount would delay seeking help more than six months, or never seek care, if their mental health difficulties affected their day-to-day lives

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One in four said feeling embarrassed or ashamed is the most common barrier to seeking help

Reasons for not seeking help varied depending on the towns or cities people lived in.

For instance, concerns about the financial costs of mental illness were more common in the home counties, while people in Yorkshire were more likely to dislike opening up about their feelings.

The findings have been used to build the UK Mental Health Data Explorer, designed to help health chiefs in towns and cities across the country tackle the specific barriers to care in their own areas, from stigma to practical worries.

‘Shocking reflection’

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Surgo Ventures’ CEO and co-founder, Dr Sema K Sgaier, said: “The fact that one in five people would suffer silently with mental health difficulties is a shocking reflection of barriers to mental health care in the UK.

“What also stood out was how widely the reasons varied from community to community.

“Health leaders who want to encourage people to seek care will need to pursue tailored, hyper-local strategies for it to work.

“And our data can help provide these leaders with a roadmap on what to do in their communities.”

‘Great toll’

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Vicki Nash, head of policy at the mental health charity Mind, said: “The pandemic has taken a great toll on the mental health of the nation, with many people experiencing a worsening of pre-existing mental health problems while others are struggling with their mental health for the first time.

"What is needed urgently is a cross-Government plan to tackle the mental health backlog, alongside additional funding to support people experiencing mental health problems earlier on before they reach crisis point and treatment becomes both more intensive and expensive.”

Get help

If you are affected by the issues raised, the following organisations may be able to offer help or advice:

The Mind Infoline: 0300 123 3393 or email [email protected]

Samaritans: 116 123 or email [email protected]

The Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line: 0808 801 0525 or via its web chat service at - www.rethink.org/aboutus/what-we-do/advice-and-information-service.

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