One in five women say they are anxious most of the time

• 22 per cent admit being preoccupied with everyday worries, poll says
• In 2009 just 12 per cent of women said they felt frightened or anxious
• Survey was carried out by the Mental Health Foundation charity
• Nearly half of all people say they get more anxious than they used to

More than one in five women say they suffer from anxiety most or all of the time – almost double the number five years ago.

Some 22 per cent admit being preoccupied with everyday worries such as money and the welfare of loved ones.

The figure has soared since 2009, when just 12 per cent of women said they felt frightened or anxious, a survey by the Mental Health Foundation reveals.

More than one in five women say they suffer from anxiety most or all of the time - almost double the number five years ago

The charity’s Living With Anxiety report highlights a rise in sufferers across both sexes, with nearly half of people saying they get more anxious than they used to.

Almost one in five (19 per cent) of  the 2,300 people polled by YouGov said they feel anxious a lot or all the time,  citing money, finance and debt as their  top concerns.

But the most startling finding is among the 1,200 women taking part in the poll.

Some 22 per cent said they felt anxious nearly all (5 per cent) or a lot (17 per cent) of the time, compared with 15 per cent of men. And 52 per cent of women said they get more frightened or anxious than they used to, compared with 43 per cent five years ago.

Money worries were cited as the main causes of anxiety for 48 per cent of women, with the welfare of loved ones and children coming second for 44 per cent.

In 2009, finance (55 per cent) and the death of loved ones (55 per cent) were equally cited as the main trigger factors. Around a quarter of women say they would be embarrassed to tell anyone they felt anxious. The charity is now launching a major campaign – coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week – to raise understanding of anxiety and its potential effect on mental and emotional wellbeing.

'MINDFULNESS' CURED MY ANXIETY, SAYS TORY MP TRACEY CROUCH

Tracey Crouch said the stress-relief sessions, which are based on Buddhist meditation techniques, helped her through a 'low period' in her life

A Tory MP has described how courses in ‘mindfulness’ helped cure her anxiety. 

Tracey Crouch said the stress-relief sessions, which are based on Buddhist meditation techniques, helped her through a ‘low period’ in her life. 

The member for Chatham and Aylesford says more than 70 MPs and peers have now signed up to take part in the fashionable courses over the coming weeks.

And she wants GPs to consider prescribing the therapy rather than handing out so many anti-depressants. 

Mindfulness could also be used in schools to help children concentrate and even help soldiers overcome post-traumatic stress disorder, she said.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Miss Crouch, 38, said her family doctor suggested she went on a course last year instead of relying on medication.

She added: ‘Last year 53million  prescriptions for antidepressants were written and I think we need to look at alternative ways of coping with anxiety and stress.’ 

She said the stigma around mental health meant it was still hard to admit needing help.

However, the NHS is now sending more patients on mindfulness courses and an all-party parliamentary group will be launched this month to look at how the government can make use of it.

Mindfulness, pioneered in the US in the 1970s, encourages practitioners to slow down and ‘inhabit the moment’ rather than worrying about  the past or the future. 

Hollywood stars Meg Ryan and Goldie Hawn are said to be fans of the technique, which uses breathing exercises and stretching as well as meditation.

Although anxiety is a natural emotion, it can lead to disorders such as panic, phobias and obsessive behaviours, says the report.

Many find solace in potentially harmful coping strategies, with a quarter comfort eating and nearly one in five ‘hiding away from the world’. More than a quarter think anxiety is a sign of not being able to cope and 29 per cent say they would be embarrassed to admit to it.

As a result, only 7 per cent overall go to a GP about anxiety – although almost a third of women say they would do so.

More than half (57 per cent) of people wish they could be less anxious – up from 17 per cent five years ago.

Jenny Edwards, of the Mental Health Foundation, described the findings as ‘stark’. She said: ‘Women often are the ones who juggle the family finances and try to make ends meet in hard times. We know women often put themselves last when they have to cut back on life’s little luxuries, or even essentials.’

Women also tend to shoulder most of the burden for caring, which can add to daily worries, she said. TV presenter Anna Williamson, 32, has suffered from generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder for the past decade but has urged sufferers to seek out ‘talking therapies’. She said: ‘I know only too well the feelings of dread, the severe panic attacks and the irrational thinking that go hand in hand with anxiety.’ NHS figures recently revealed that a third of all hospital admissions for anxiety are women over 60.

Last year a total of 8,720 patients were treated in hospital for anxiety – 2,440 of whom were women over the age of 60. Other figures show that women make up nearly two thirds of patients seeking treatment for depression – with a 7.5 per cent rise in prescriptions for medication in a year.

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