Mentally ill people 'hit hard by recession'

Posted by Neill Abayon

The economic recession across Europe has had a profound impact on people with mental health problems, research from King's College London suggests.

Between 2006 and 2010, the rate of unemployment for those with mental health problems rose twice as much as for other people - from 12.7% to 18.2%.

Men and those with low levels of education were particularly affected, the study said.

The authors warn that social exclusion could increase among the mentally ill.

Scientists collected data from 20,000 people across 27 EU countries using the Eurobarometer survey, which looked at mental health, attitudes to those with mental health problems and current employment rate.

For those without mental health problems, the unemployment rate increased from 7.1% in 2006 to 9.8% in 2010 - half the increase compared with the previous group.

In addition, the study identified that men with mental health problems were particularly vulnerable. The unemployment rate for this group increased from 13.7% in 2006 to 21.7% in 2010.

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