| Personal debt is a growing problem in the UK, | | | | |
| but is an even greater problem for those that | | | | The department of health and the environment |
| suffer mental illness for a variety of | | | | at the Wales Centre for Health is conducting |
| reasons. In many cases it is the anxiety over | | | | research into the link between ill health and |
| the amount of debt they have that has | | | | debt. Director Susan Malby said: |
| contributed to the mental health issue, but | | | | |
| others have got into debt while already | | | | "Most of us are in debt of some kind, but we |
| suffering from the illness. | | | | prefer to call it credit, a much more |
| | | | socially acceptable way of describing debt. |
| Even now, as would-be lenders become | | | | However, over-indebtedness isn't linked |
| ultra-cautious about to whom they lend, | | | | uniquely with poor debt management or |
| credit is still readily available. | | | | low-income families. Events such as birth of |
| Advertising regularly espouses the "buy now, | | | | a child, sudden unemployment, the death of |
| pay later" culture, into which many of us | | | | someone close, long-term illness or |
| have been drawn. It now appears impossible to | | | | disability; all significantly increase the |
| enjoy an everyday life without incurring some | | | | chances of falling into severe debt." |
| element of debt along the way, as many | | | | |
| struggle to get onto the housing ladder or | | | | The study has found that many who fall into |
| afford their drastically increased mortgage | | | | debt suffer health problems because they can |
| payments. | | | | no longer afford to eat properly or heat |
| | | | their home. That adds to the anxiety they are |
| But, while most manage to just keep their | | | | already feeling and that's when people can |
| head above water, financially, many more are | | | | slip into the spiral of hopelessness that |
| drowning in debt, and dealing with that | | | | in-turn leads to lack of self-esteem at best, |
| throws up many emotional problems. The | | | | or can manifest itself as mental illness in |
| classification of 'over-indebtedness' by the | | | | worst case scenarios. |
| Citizens Advice Bureau includes someone who | | | | |
| is "unable to pay their current credit | | | | To prevent that Malby recommends that anyone |
| repayments and meet their other commitments | | | | in the situation where they need help finding |
| without reducing other expenditure below | | | | appropriate debt solutions, should |
| normal minimal levels." Many of the people | | | | immediately contact the Citizens Advice |
| who fall into that classification will suffer | | | | Bureau in the first instance, and get back on |
| more readily from depression and ill-health, | | | | the road to financial and emotional |
| and that includes mental illness, as well as | | | | well-being. |
| being more likely to incur even more debt. | | | | |