• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

centred

at the heart of care

  • Home
  • 01463 236507
  • hello@centred.scot
  • Search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Who we are
    • Management
    • Trustees
    • Vision & Values
    • Useful Documents
    • Our History
  • What we do
    • Mental Health Recovery
    • Community Support
    • The Recovery Centre
    • Centred Plus Private Care and Support
    • Research
    • Our Researchers
  • About Mental Health
    • Warning Signs & Symptoms
    • Mental Health Conditions
    • A to Z of Mental Health
    • Mental Health by Numbers
  • Get Involved
    • Fundraising
    • Getting started with Fundraising
    • Young People
    • Campaign Hub
    • Events
    • Board Membership
  • Careers
  • Discovery College
    • Course catalogue
  • News
  • Contact

Mental Health by Numbers

Illustration

Mental health conditions are much more common than you might think. Around one in four people are estimated to be affected by mental health problems in Scotland in any one year (2). And the effects of the pandemic are likely to have intensified this. The figures can be a little daunting, but they should also reassure anyone worried about mental health problems that they are not alone. 

The good news is that the increase in awareness of the scale of the mental health problem in Scotland and the UK is creating a growing understanding of the issue. Gradually, the stigma attached to mental ill-health is being lost and more and more people are talking about their problems. This can only be a good thing and as more people reach out for help, the closer they are to living happier and more fulfilling lives.

Below we have listed some of the numbers around mental health that help to show the scale of the problem and how it affects people.

General statistics

  • It is estimated that 1 in 6 people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem (1)
  • Mixed anxiety and depression have been estimated to cause one-fifth of days lost from work in Britain. (1)
  • One adult in six has experienced a common mental disorder. (2)
  • Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with 7.8% of people meeting the criteria for diagnosis. (1)
  • There are over 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is set to rise to over one million by 2025. (3)
  • Around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders, although many keep them secret. (4)

Young people

  • One in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in 2021. That’s five children in every classroom (5)
  • 10% of young people are thought to self-harm (5)
  • 1 in 3 mental health problems in adulthood are directly connected to an adverse childhood experience. (3)

Mental Health inequality

  • Adults living in the most deprived areas are approximately twice as likely to have common mental health problems as those in the least deprived areas (22% versus 11%) (6)
  • There were twice as many GP consultations for anxiety in areas of deprivation than in more affluent areas in Scotland (62 versus 28 consultations per 1000 patients in 2010-2011). (6)
  • People who are poorer and more disadvantaged are disproportionately affected by common mental health problems and the issues they can cause. (1)

Suicide

  • In the UK in 2019, 6,524 people took their own lives. (1)
  • There were 805 probable suicides registered in Scotland in 2020, which is a decrease from 833 in 2019. (7)
  • Just under three-quarters (71.4%) of people who died by suicide in 2020 were male (575 males, 230 females). (7)
  • Males aged 45 to 49 years had the highest suicide rate (27.1 deaths per 100,000 males); for females, the age group with the highest rate was also 45 to 49 years, at 9.2 deaths per 100,000. (8)
  • Among men aged 20-34, suicide was the leading cause of death in England and Wales, accounting for one-quarter of all deaths in that age group registered in 2020. (9)

Sources

  1. Mentalhealth.org.uk
  2. Mind.org.uk
  3. NHS.uk
  4. Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2021Report
  5. Youngminds.org.uk
  6. Health Scotland 
  7. Publichealthscotland.scot
  8. ONS – Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations
  9. Suicide: summary of statistics – UK Parliament

centred
59 Tomnahurich Street,
Inverness, IV3 5DT
01463 236507
hello@centred.scot

A Company Limited by Guarantee in Scotland SC105400
Registered Charity SC003198.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Our staff are registered with the SSSC.

Find out what this means here.


Copyright © 2023 centred | Privacy policy

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT