York and District Mind

On World Mental Health Day 2000 Mind released the first ever survey of 1,500 of its supporters, asking them what they thought of the key mental health issues at the start of the new millennium.

Key findings

Children

The majority of all respondents (56%) thought children growing up in the next decade will be more vulnerable to mental health problems than they were as children. The most common reasons given were:

• Pressures, demands and pace of modern life (42%)

• Family life, family breakdown (23%)

• Only 7% mentioned TVs/computers and games

Causes of mental health problems

The most common causes of mental health problems were thought (by all respondents) to be:

• Work stress (61%)

• Loneliness (59%)

• Bereavement (55%)

• Traumatic events (52%)

• The pace and demands of modern life (50%)

• Unemployment/redundancy (50%)

• Marriage/relationship problems (50%)

Stress

More respondents thought stress was helpful phrase that people used instead of talking about their mental health problems (56% compared to 17%).

‘Alibis’ for work absence

Just over a quarter of all respondents (27%) said they would lie to their employers if they had to take time off work for a mental health problem/stress (and they felt they could not be honest).

The most popular excuses they would use would be:

• Indigestion problems (42%)

• Overslept (41%)

• Bereavement (20%)

• Gynaecological problems (17%)

• Hangover (5%)

First contact for help

• The vast majority of all respondents (71%) would turn to their GP first if they, or someone they knew, needed help for a mental health problem.

• 17% of all respondents would first turn to a friend for help, though women would be twice as likely to do this than men.

Stigma

• Just over a quarter of all respondents (28%) wouldn’t be embarrassed to tell anyone if they had a mental health problem.

• But stigma still prevails, with:

• 32% of all respondents too embarrassed to tell their neighbours

• 24% too embarrassed to tell their colleagues

• 18% too embarrassed to tell their friends

• 15% too embarrassed to tell other members of their family (not partners or children)

• 10% too embarrassed to tell their children

• 6% too embarrassed to tell their closest friend

• 4% too embarrassed to tell said their partner

Sean Triner, Mind’s Appeals & Marketing Director said: "This survey indicates that our supporters recognise that the pressures and strains of modern lifestyles will take their toll on the mental health of their children and grandchildren. Mental health problems are set to escalate across the globe by the year 2020, according the World Health Organisation, and we need to make the public aware of how mental health will become an even more crucial issue in this new millennium."

This survey was carried out as part of the charity’s annual fundraising appeal sent to 30,000 donors in July 2000. The analysis is based 1,591 returned questionnaires. 1 in 4 people (25%) surveyed had personal experience of mental health problems. The majority of respondents (73%) were aged 55 and over.