Five key points
- Mental ill health conditions affect around one in four people in any given year, ranging from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to more severe problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- In Suffolk, it is estimated that over 106,000 residents experienced a common mental ill health condition in 2020, with the most common conditions being anxiety, depression and phobias.
- Mental ill health problems are more common in areas of higher deprivation and poor mental health is consistently associated with unemployment, less education and low income. In Suffolk, people living in more deprived areas are more likely to experience severe mental illness, and to be admitted to hospital for self-harm.
- 7,235 people registered with a GP in Suffolk had a GP registered diagnosis of severe mental illness in 2020/21. Generally, the lives of people with severe mental illness are 15-20 years shorter than the rest of the population.
- The number of people admitted to hospital because of intentional self-harm has increased in Suffolk in recent years; in 2019/20 the rate in Suffolk was significantly higher than England (213.7 admissions per 100,000 residents compared to 192.6 admissions per 100,000 residents).
Why is mental health important in Suffolk?
Good mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Like physical health, people can experience both temporary and long-term mental ill-health. Mental ill health conditions affect around one in four people in any given year, ranging from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Physical health and mental health are closely linked. People with long-term conditions, including diabetes and heart disease, are two to three times more likely to have depression. The more physical ill health problems a person has, the more likely they are to have a mental ill health problem. People with more than four physical health conditions are nearly seven times more likely to experience mental ill health than people in good physical health.
People can experience mental ill health at any age and the implications are wide-ranging. For children and young people, educational outcomes may be negatively affected, which can result in more limited job opportunities. For people of working age, they may be less productive at work and more likely to be unemployed. Among elderly people, they are more likely to be isolated and less active in their community. For people of all ages with mental ill health, it can be challenging to carry out everyday tasks.
Mental ill health can be both a cause and a consequence of social, economic and environmental inequalities. Mental ill health problems are more common in areas of higher deprivation and poor mental health is consistently associated with unemployment, less education and low income. In Suffolk, people living in more deprived areas are more likely to experience severe mental illness, and to be admitted to hospital for self-harm.