Mental Health Awareness Week: 10 top stats and facts for 2023

Case study by Sarah Chamberlain

​In honour of our annual UK Mental Health Awareness Week on 15th–21st May, this round-up article collates some of the most important, up-to-date facts and figures, as well as advice and relatable stories, across key mental health topics: mental health services, anxiety, depression, stress and loneliness. The data speaks for itself. It’s never been more significant to focus on achieving good mental health, putting our minds first, and supporting the people around us.

Mental health services

• 1.81 million people were referred to talking therapies (IAPT), 1.24 million entered treatment, and 688,000 finished a course of treatment between 2021/2022. The number of referrals was a 28% increase from the previous year (1.41 million) – 2021/22 NHS Digital, Psychological Therapies, Annual IAPT Report

• 4.5 million people contacted NHS-funded mental health services during 2021/22. Referrals to NHS mental health services increased by 44% between 2016/17 and 2021/22 – 2023 Progress in improving mental health services in England

The NHS Confederation and Centre is calling for the UK Government to bring forward their commitment to a fully funded 10-year mental health plan. The organisation has just released a 10-point vision of changes government need to make for mental health services in response to these surges in demand.

The report highlights what should have changed by 2032, what would equate to sufficient funding for making change, and recommendations for a comprehensive NHS workforce plan. Read more here.

Anxiety

• 1 in 10 of us will be living with an anxiety disorder at any one time – that’s over 8 million people in the UK – Mental Health UK

• Worldwide, the prevalence of anxiety disorders grew from about 298 million people affected to 374 million as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is about a 25% increase across 204 countries – 2020 Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic: The Lancet

When anxiety takes hold of you, it can be overwhelming. Understanding our minds better, the way we feel, and our patterns of anxious behaviour, can help us take positive action for self-improvement and support others who may be going through something similar. Check out the article below if you would like to know more about why anxiety occurs and how it can be managed.

​ Related

The anxious brain: Understanding triggers and how to control them

In the UK, more than 8 million people are experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time. Sara Robinson talks through the biological processes behind it, what triggers it, and how it can be controlled.

Depression

• Approximately 280 million people in the world are currently living with depression – 2023 World Health Organization

• A third of participants who received a 25mg dose of COMP360 (psilocybin – a hallucinogenic compound produced by “magic mushrooms”) alongside psychological support were in remission from depression after three weeks

Depression impacts how we feel, think and act – a frame of mind that sucks the life out of everything we enjoy, hits our self-esteem and leaves us experiencing emptiness.

The article below shares an inspirational story on the importance of asking for help from a professional or supportive charity and talking to loved ones around us about how we feel.

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The Beginning

A story of a young woman's life with depression, from its first emergence and journey to diagnosis and treatment, to her renewed sense of purpose and passion to make a difference.

Stress

• Nearly half (49%) of UK adults admit to feeling stressed five or more days each month – 2021 CIPHR

• Work-related stress and burnout is currently costing the UK economy £28 billion a year and resulting in 23.3 million sick days a year – 2023 AXA UK and Centre of Economic and Business Research

We all feel stressed sometimes. But if stress is overloading our mind and body, finding out what

causes our stress, why it’s important and how it affects us is an important step in protecting our

well-being. The article below delves into the reasons behind stress, and ways in which to keep it in check.

​ Related

What you need to know about stress

Stress is something all of us experience, but too much of it can have dramatic effects on our physical and mental health. Chimezirim Ozonyiri looks at why stress is necessary, how it affects us, and what we can do to keep it under control.

Loneliness

• The number of over-50s experiencing loneliness is set to reach two million by 2025/6. This compares with around 1.4 million in 2016/7 – a 49% increase in 10 years – 2018 Age UK

• An average of 7.08% of people reported feeling lonely often/always from November 2022 to February 2023. This equates to an estimated 3.7 million people – 2023 Campaign to end loneliness

Loneliness is running rife across the world. It probably impacts more people than we can even record. While we all feel a bit lonely sometimes, it serves as a useful reminder that we’re missing something fundamental in our lives. If that feeling of isolation and distance from others or the world around you isn’t going anywhere, the article below talks about how to overcome it, support others to find more purpose and make a difference to someone’s life.

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Overcoming loneliness: How to build connections and improve wellbeing

All of us will feel lonely and experience the physical and emotional toll it can take at some point in our lives. Ben East examines why loneliness occurs, and ways in which it can be overcome.