Depression and stress is ‘new normal’

Depression, anxiety and chronic stress have been accepted as “the new normal” by large swathes of the population, according to a study showing that many never even try to seek help.

Of those who experienced severe stress, more than half (55 per cent) did not seek support, while 48 per cent with anxiety suffered in silence. More people are taking action on depression, possibly because it is much more widely discussed, with treatments more advanced. However, just under a third who experienced common symptoms in the past year did not ask for support.

Men are less likely than women to seek help for stress, anxiety and depression, according to the study by Aviva, the health insurer.

Of those who have personally experienced a mental health…