Social media is driving us mad

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ALMOST half of Irish people say their mental wellbeing is of “real concern” to them, a study revealed yesterday.

The findings show money worries, poor sleep, weight and spending too much time on social media are causing most bother.

And 82% of adults surveyed said the conversation around mental health needs to change as the condition still carries a stigma.

The findings were released by Laya Healthcare yesterday as part of Mental Health Week which runs from October 7 to 13.

The study found 42% of those suffering from anxiety believe they would be judged by work colleagues if they knew.

Dr Sarah O’neill, of Laya Healthcare, said: “The findings shine a light on the need to open up the conversation around mental wellbeing and the supports available.

“Knowing and understanding what triggers feelings of anxiety can help prevent or manage it but also knowing there is help at hand is hugely important.”

The survey asked people to list the problems that cause anxiety, and financial concerns came out on top, closely followed by poor sleep and worries over weight.

Social media also ranked highly, with 20% of those surveyed saying spending so much time on sites such as Facebook, Snapchat or Twitter had a negative impact on their mental health.

The research also studied the impact of living with anxiety, with more than half reporting they had trouble sleeping at night.

Worryingly, 17% revealed they drink alcohol to feel better while 5% claimed they had lost their job because of their anxiety.

Examining ways adults were able to boost their mental health, exercise was the most popular way of relieving stress, with 52% using some form of physical exercise to improve their mood.

The study of 1,000 people across Ireland (aged 18 to 65), was conducted last month by Empathy Research on behalf of Laya.