This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/8433484.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| NHS stress phone service launched | NHS stress phone service launched |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| An NHS helpline to help people struggling with stress has been launched by the government. | An NHS helpline to help people struggling with stress has been launched by the government. |
| The service is available across England, following concerns about the mounting problems people will face in coming months because of the economy. | |
| Trained health advisers will staff the hotline - available on 0300 123 2000 - from 0800 to 2200 each day. | Trained health advisers will staff the hotline - available on 0300 123 2000 - from 0800 to 2200 each day. |
| They will offer advice on debt, housing and employment, but can also put people in touch with mental health services. | They will offer advice on debt, housing and employment, but can also put people in touch with mental health services. |
| It is estimated that a quarter of people with mental health problems experience debt, but a third of those do not ask for any help. | It is estimated that a quarter of people with mental health problems experience debt, but a third of those do not ask for any help. |
| Average household debt is now almost £10,000, excluding mortgages, and recent surveys suggest up to half the population is worried about money because of the recession. | Average household debt is now almost £10,000, excluding mortgages, and recent surveys suggest up to half the population is worried about money because of the recession. |
| Job insecurity, redundancy, debt and money problems can all cause feelings of distress and helplessness Jacqui Jedrzejewski, of NHS Direct | |
| Care services minister Phil Hope said: "After the festive season many of us take a long hard look at our finances. | Care services minister Phil Hope said: "After the festive season many of us take a long hard look at our finances. |
| "Tightening our belts and getting out of debt always features high on the list of new year resolutions. | "Tightening our belts and getting out of debt always features high on the list of new year resolutions. |
| "But debt can have a serious impact on a person's mental wellbeing, causing stress, depression and even suicidal thoughts." | "But debt can have a serious impact on a person's mental wellbeing, causing stress, depression and even suicidal thoughts." |
| Jacqui Jedrzejewski, the mental health lead at NHS Direct, said the advisers were there to "offer sympathetic, relevant support and advice". | Jacqui Jedrzejewski, the mental health lead at NHS Direct, said the advisers were there to "offer sympathetic, relevant support and advice". |
| She added: "We know the credit crunch hits people in many different ways and job insecurity, redundancy, debt and money problems can all cause feelings of distress and helplessness." | She added: "We know the credit crunch hits people in many different ways and job insecurity, redundancy, debt and money problems can all cause feelings of distress and helplessness." |
| The launch of the stress service, after a six-month pilot, comes after the government set out a new mental health strategy earlier this month. | The launch of the stress service, after a six-month pilot, comes after the government set out a new mental health strategy earlier this month. |
| The 10-year plan involved a series of measures, including the appointment of mental health co-ordinators to work with Job Centres. | The 10-year plan involved a series of measures, including the appointment of mental health co-ordinators to work with Job Centres. |
| Dedicated advice lines are also to be set up for small businesses to give their staff direct access to occupational health professionals to help them stay in work, while government-backed work placements are to be piloted to help people return to work. | Dedicated advice lines are also to be set up for small businesses to give their staff direct access to occupational health professionals to help them stay in work, while government-backed work placements are to be piloted to help people return to work. |
| Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and must count towards any inclusive minutes, according to Ofcom. | |
| These rules apply to calls from any type of line including mobiles, landlines or payphones. |