Lost working days

Mental ill-health is costing the economy billions of pounds a year. Get the latest information here

The number of working days lost through stress, depression and anxiety was more than 10 million last year, according to a new report today.

Insurance firm UnumProvident said mental ill-health cost the economy £10billion a year, with the biggest problems reported by workers in public administration, education and health.

Younger people were least likely to make an insurance claim for mental ill-health, with the largest group of claimants aged between 55 and 59, said the report.

The number of insurance claims linked to mental and behavioural problems has increased by over 5% every year since 2000, it was found.

Joanne Hindle, corporate services director of UnumProvident, said: ``The report clearly illustrates the extent to which mental ill-health is impacting on the UK economy as well as the lives of individuals, their families and their work colleagues.

``This research suggests that a relatively small investment on early intervention and rehabilitation has commensurate benefits, providing hope and belief for individuals, and financial benefits for the UK economy and the Exchequer.''

We've got lots of advice and information about how to cope with stress, depression and anxiety. Click on the articles below for more details