1st February 2010
The UK's leading debt charity, the Consumer Credit Counselling
Service (CCCS), has expressed concern at the high rates of
"recession depression" found in a recent study.
The research by Aviva UK Health found that almost one in four
businesses claim that the recession has taken a lasting toll on
employee stress levels and has led to a rise in long term absence
rates.
CCCS has been concerned about the link between debt and depression
in the wake of the recession and is looking to create a care
pathway for its online clients. During November 2009 it added two
test questions to its online counselling tool Debt Remedy
to gauge levels of demand for an online talking therapy. Of 4,000
people who took the questions:
- Do you feel down and hopeless?
- Do you get little or no enjoyment out of life?
eighty six percent said yes to both, while seven percent said
yes to one or other. Only seven percent said no to both, giving a
clear indicator of the need to tackle debt and depression issues
more aggressively.
Chairman Malcolm Hurlston said: "CCCS has become increasingly
aware of the emotional toll that the recession is having on people.
This in turn becomes a vicious circle as the more depressed a
person becomes as a result of their money worries, the harder it is
for them to deal with them.
"It is a complex problem that has implications for financial
institutions, health organisations, advice bodies as well as
employers, who in turn have a responsibility to develop their
understanding of the issue."
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