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The Citizens Advice Bureau's (CAB) latest report on mental health in the Bailiwick has revealed an increase “in the number of individuals describing themselves or described in general terms” as experiencing mental hardships.
The primary reasons people contacted the service in 2021 were for financial issues (21%), work and unemployment (18%), relationship and family issues (14%), and 9% were for “housing, care home costs, and residency issues”.
The percentages for these categories are consistent with the previous two years.
CAB said that whilst the number of individuals reporting these difficulties increased, there was a reduction in the number of enquiries referencing “mental ill health” since 2019 – something they argue could be tied to covid lockdowns.
In 2021, there were 159 cases reported which comprised 165 individuals. Those people referenced 215 individual mental health issues.
Pictured: CAB provided a table showing the comparative reporting of individuals experiencing mental health issues.
Since 2019, there were increases in people reporting a mental breakdown, suicidal thoughts, and “attempted suicides”.
Non-specific descriptions also increased during this period, including instances such as “struggling mentally… low mental health… vulnerable… not in a good place”.
Descriptions of people feeling distressed, upset, and emotional also increased “proportionately in 2021 over 2020”.
Whilst there were increases, CAB highlighted that “2020 saw a decrease in cases describing anxiety, low self-esteem and/or confidence, but these cases increased proportionately in 2021 – although not back to the 2019 level”.
References of depression decreased slightly, and then increased slightly, from 2020 to 2021.
Pictured: CAB say that whilst some of these descriptions are not by themselves classed as a mental health condition, they are included since they could “perhaps contribute to the development of mental ill-health if the underlying cause is not addressed”.
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