Health charity Mind has warned that depression caused by money worries has increased by a third in the last year.

The number of calls to their helpline, usually from those who had reached crisis point, increased by 50%, with an increase of 30% in the number that had taken steps to end their lives, had suicidal thoughts or had concerns about a loved one. There were also increases in the acuteness and/or the complexity of problems described.

Those in financial trouble are often unwilling to talk to friends or colleagues about it, for fear of censure, and suffer anxiety and panic attacks as the delay in getting help makes things worse.