One In four People In Deprived Areas Struck Down By Depression

Nearly a quarter of residents in some of Scotland’s most deprived communities turned to their GP with depression in a year, according to a survey. Gang activity and rowdy behaviour are worse problems than studies have previously shown and, despite the smoking ban, only one in 10 people from poor neighbourhoods have any intention of giving up tobacco in the next six months.

These are among the first disturbing findings of a survey of more than 6000 people in Glasgow, the largest project of its kind in Europe. The pioneering initiative, which is tracking the lives of families living in 14 areas of the city over 10 years, is part of the drive to improve entrenched health problems and help Scotland lose its reputation as the “sick man of Europe”.

It is testing the theory that people’s outlook on life can affect their physical health and investigating whether regenerating communities with better housing, facilities and opportunities, can create optimism and reduce disease. The first findings, unveiled today, show widespread depression, anxiety and stress.

Across the study, 22% of those interviewed had seen their doctor about such mental health issues in the previous year. This rose to one-third and above in Shawbridge, Drumchapel and St Andrews Drive, on the south side.

The figures follow a massive surge in diagnoses of depression Scotland-wide, with the number of antidepressants prescribed trebling to 3.5m a year over the past 10 years.

Dr Michael Smith, consultant psychiatrist, said there had been decades of debate about the link between deprived city communities and mental illness. He added: “It does look as if there is something about inner city deprived, urban environments that does actually make you ill.”

Dr Roddy Shaw, GP in Scotstoun, which is also included in the study, said the findings on depression reflected his own experience. “The range of issues is huge,” he said. “Family issues, marital breakdown, problems with neighbours, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, threats of violence. There is a huge list of things that impact on people in all kinds of ways.”

While participants in the survey, called GoWell, were often positive about their surroundings, antisocial behaviour was a major concern.

Today’s report on the project, which comes a year after it began, says: “Teenagers hanging around, gang activity and drunken and rowdy behaviour are much more common and perceived as more serious than they are nationally.” Half of those interviewed said they thought people would intervene if they saw someone being harassed in the street. When a similar question was posed in England and Wales, 80% thought passers-by would help.

This along with data about the influence people feel they have over decisions which affect their community, suggests residents lack a sense of control over their lives.

Dr Carol Tannahill, director of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health which is behind GoWell, said: “Our emerging understanding of how good health is created would suggest that the issue of having control and influence is very important.”

Professor Ade Kearns, urban studies expert at Glasgow University and a GoWell researcher, said: “The question is whether an improved residential environment will enable people to gain some better sense of wellbeing and progress in their life. Some of the things that support good mental health may be absent at the moment. Not many people in our study areas think their area has a good reputation in the city.”

Steven Purcell, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “We are seeing changes in Glasgow, there is no doubt about that, and some of it is pretty dramatic. However, we are still very conscious that we have a lot more to do and that there are still many communities in Glasgow where we have got a job to change their fortunes as well.

“The GoWell research is telling us affecting that change for people who have suffered for so long in Glasgow is partly about improving their housing, it is partly about what schools are doing, and it is also about other quality of life issues.”