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Health special 2. Why is anxiety and depression increasing in the UK?

Figures show a significant rise in mental health disorders over the past 20 years, particularly among 16 to 24-year-olds. What's behind this increase and what can be done about it?

Surveys suggest that at least one in four of us will suffer from anxiety and depression during our lifetimes. The prevalence of these conditions is one of the reasons given for poor school attendance. And it's estimated that these mental health disorders account for 12.5% of all sickness leave in the UK. So what鈥檚 caused such an explosion in mental distress and what, if anything, can be done to bring down the numbers? Join David Aaronovitch and a panel of guests to find out.

Guests:
Professor Jennifer Wild, a consultant clinical psychologist and professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford
Dr Jennifer Dykxhoorn, a psychiatric epidemiologist at University College, London
Dr Sharon Neufeld from Cambridge University Medical School and
Thalia Eley, professor of developmental behavioural genetics at Kings College, London

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Rosamund Jones and Sally Abrahams
Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon

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28 minutes

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  • Thu 18 Jul 2024 16:00
  • Mon 22 Jul 2024 20:00

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