More than 1.3million people who don’t have a job nor are looking for work have a mental health condition, new research reveals.
It is an increase of over 20% since 2018, according to Labour analysis.
The figure represents more than half of the 2.5million people who are currently “economically inactive” due to long-term sickness.
Mental health conditions counted in the statistics include depression, bad nerves, anxiety, mental illness and other nervous disorders.
Some 639,000 workers aged 50 to 64 were inactive due to a mental health condition in July-September 2022, according to analysis by House of Commons library.
There were 225,000 people aged 16 to 34 and 447,000 aged 35 to 49 not in work for the same reason.
Economically inactive people are those who are neither in employment nor looking for work.
Waiting lists for community mental health care in England hit 1.2million last year.
Mental health patients are increasingly having to turn to A&E for help, as figures suggest nearly one in four are being forced to wait more than 12 weeks to start treatment.
One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
In a speech at the Health Foundation yesterday (THU), Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Many people with a job want to work, including people with mental health conditions.
"Yet Tory ministers are missing in action, failing to offer any reforms to help people. Government failures risk a generation of growing numbers left on the margins with no prospect of returning to sustainable, well paid work.
“With Labour nobody will be written off. Bringing employment advice services together with health is the new frontier in helping people find quality work.
“Labour will provide personalised help to those with health conditions who want a job as part of our plan to get Britain back to work.”
The next Labour Government wants to guarantee access to mental health treatment in less than a month for all who need it.
Speaking about mental health waiting times at the end of last year, Dr Kate Lovett, the Royal College of Psychiatrists' presidential lead for recruitment, said: “We cannot sit idly by and watch the most vulnerable people in our society end up in crisis.
"Not only do spiralling mental health waiting times wreak havoc on patients’ lives, but they also leave NHS services with the impossible task of tackling rising demand.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We recognise one of our biggest challenges is how to support people to start or return to work, which is why the department is thoroughly reviewing workforce participation to understand what action should be taken on increased economic inactivity.
“As part of this work, we’re looking at plans to improve support for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.”
