There are more young people under 35 unable to work because of stress and depression than on the dole, according to today’s FT.
The report says that more than half a million young Britons are officially too sick to work and claim incapacity benefits. This figure includes more than 300,000 young people claiming for “mental and behavioural disorders”.
I bet the government wishes it had lost this data from the Department of Work and Pensions, something it cannot be proud of in this modern day and age, when it boasts about its flagship national health service and economic growth over the last 10 years.
And there seems to be no immediate solution, according to Paul Bivand, a welfare-to-work expert at Inclusion, a social justice think-tank, who warns:
“There is a second generation of people coming on to incapacity benefits for mental reasons. This may well be related to ingrained hopelessness in particular areas.”
I heard a claimant on the radio this morning describe the difficulties she faced in trying to return to work after seven years off sick with depression. She has no self-esteem and is doing voluntary work in order to mix socially. And, realistically, how easy is it for them to find work after declaring a long-term mental illness?
What help is being given to these claimants to treat them successfully and get them off this bandwagon? Young people want to feel well enough to work, and supported. This report highlights once again how we let down our young depressed society. Depression is a terrible, crippling illness, and dishing out the pills is not the right cure.
Richard Layard, who is advising the government on mental health, recommends a network of 250 centres across the country to offer psychological therapies – instead of the drugs widely handed out by doctors in the absence of sufficient therapists. He says if you go to your GP with depression, the chances are you will be offered drugs and they may work in adults in the short term, but patients more easily relapse when they stop taking them, and may suffer side-effects.
Alternative psychological therapy is urged instead as patients themselves say they prefer “talking therapy” to long term drug use.
Maybe there should be compulsory daily fitness classes for people on incapacity benefit?
How sad that it is affecting so many young people. And you are right – it is going to be very difficult to find work after declaring a mental illness. If you break your leg, people can see it; if you are suffering inside, they can’t and there is such a wall of prejudice about it.
It’s stuff like this that makes me realize how little the medical community really knows about the human condition. How sad is it that we’ve bottled up peoples problems into an anti-depression medicine and made it readily available to everyone for a premium. Something is behind the epidemic, but it’s almost as if the medical community isn’t even willing to consider the “rational” possibility.
Ellee, the solution is straight forward. Reduce incapacity benefit to the same level as unemployment benefit.
Mental illness is the perfect cover for claiming more benefits as there are no physical symptoms that can be disproven.
In agreement with Snafu. Long term sickness means less people on the unemployment stats – much of this is bogus and much of that which isn’t could probably be put right with some therapeutic work – I certainly found that being put on decorating duties at work helped with my depression. My brother who suffered extremely severe depression and was treated with ECT had no problem finding work as a registered taxi driver and mini-bus driver for hospitals.
Depression, true depression, is a horrible, crippling and potentially lethal ailment. On the other hand, and donning my curmudgeon hat, I also think we have raised a generation of whiners who will seek excuses to avoid involvement in life.
Sadly, so many of these are false claims in the hope of getting away with not working.
The stress is because of relationship breakdown and money worries which is because of credit debt and unrealistic aspirations in the main, which is due to sub-prime lending, which is due to greedy banks.
I wouldn’t like to have some of you deal with anyone with a Mental Health problem..and to SNAFU..Mental illness is NOT the perfect cover to claiming more money!!
My son would love to work….he needs someone to help him get back into work..he needs support not rejection…this is a very very complex matter.
Anne, it’s far better than claiming you have a limp as you can be caught out on camera when you play squash!
PS I’m looking forward to condemnation from 299,999 other mothers…
PPS Would so many people be struggling with mental illness if the benefits paid were lower than unemployment benefit!?!