A survey of North Lanarkshire residents has found that three out of four people who claim to suffer from a mental health problem attribute financial troubles as the cause.

And with these feelings of anxiety and depression sitting above the Scottish average, a Lanarkshire mental health expert has spoken out about the importance of taking a little time this January and February to address your mental wellbeing.

Kevin O’Neil, public mental health and wellbeing development manager, said: “We know from this research and others that financial insecurity is one of the significant factors to having mental health problem or low levels of wellbeing.

“We also know that post festive season, the realities of those Christmas bills dropping through the door in January and February are quite daunting.

“You shouldn’t avoid facing up to the reality of any financial problems you may be experiencing, and should seek help at an early stage because if your money problems escalate then you may begin to feel more worried and this could develop into feelings of anxiety, stress or depression.

“So it is important that people know there is a free benefit, welfare and debt advice available within the North Lanarkshire area.”

The 2011 Health and Wellbeing Survey asked 1,632 members of the North Lanarkshire Citizens’ Panel to assess factors which influence their health such as employment, access to physical activity, financial security, their neighbourhood and social networks.

Financial security was the most common trigger for these self-reported mental health problems, however, other areas such as lack of social support, lack of employment and living accommodation were also found to play a part in the onset of these feelings.

And, with NHS figures estimating that millions of people in the UK suffer from the winter blues at this time of year, Kevin believes better awareness of mental health is important for ensuring the ‘blues’ don’t develop into more serious conditions such as seasonal affective disorder, anxiety or depression.

He said: “It is normal for us all to feel low in mood, sad, unmotivated, and a little pessimistic about the future at some stage of our life. It is part and parcel of daily life.

“People can often feel low spirited after festive season, and have a general feeling of the post festive blues. This is not depression and can be a perfectly natural response to the season.

“But there are thing we can all practically do to protect our mental health and wellbeing such as staying active, getting outdoors to enjoy the daylight, staying connected with people and making time for relaxation.

“However, if symptoms of low mood become more frequent and more severe and start to interfere with your day to day life, then I would encourage people to seek help at an early stage.”

This article is in association with

For more information on mental health and healthy living in the New Year, visit the STV Health Centre, brought to you by NHS inform.