Government urged to deliver on mental health promises

The Mental Health Foundation has called for the government to tackle depression after new figures revealed that the economic cost of the illness has risen to £9 billion a year.

Figures published by Jo Swinson, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Wellbeing Economics, have revealed that the cost of treatment for depression is spiralling.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said it is imperative that the government tackle the problem before it becomes unmanageable.

"The government has delivered a lot of promises on how it intends to address the growing issue of mental illness in this country, and we will be paying close attention to ensure it now delivers on these promises, through approaches such as increased investment in talking therapies," he added.

Dr McCulloch also said that the miserable economic outlook was contributing to the incidence of depression in the country and so employers should also take a look at the issue.

Find the nearest Barchester care home