One in four people will suffer mental health problems over a year

Mental health is one of the five key issues covered in the document.

What does the government plan to do?

• Introduce measures through the SureStart programme to improve the mental health of children and young people.

• Publish an action plan to ensure equality of access to mental health services for ethnic minorities.

• Publish guidelines on how mild to moderate mental health should be managed in the workplace.

What are mental health problems?

The term mental health covers a wide spectrum.

The main disorders include anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, depression, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and self-harm

Mental health disorders can be sub-divided into two types - neurotic and psychotic.

Neurosis describes mental health problems which are severe forms of normal experiences, such as anxiety or depression.

Whereas psychosis is more severe and involved the distortion of a person's perception of reality, for example schizophrenia.

But not all diagnoses of mental health can be classified as either neurosis or psychosis.

For example, personality disorder falls outside the two categories.

And for some conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, there is an overlap.

What are consequences?

The consequences of mental health problems vary depending on the severity of the condition.

People with depression or who have panic attacks can struggle with certain aspects of everyday life but can still learn to live with them and live fulfilling lives.

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS One in four people will develop mental health problems over a year Depression is the most common cause of mental health problem

But mental health problems can lead to self harm and suicidal depression.

About 142,000 hospital admissions each year in England and Wales are the result of deliberate self-harm.

While self-harm is more common in women, three quarters of suicides are by men.

Mental health problems also have wider implications for society.

The total cost of mental health problems in England has been estimated at �77.4bn, according the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health.

More than a third of this cost is attributed to lost employment and productivity related to schizophrenia, depression and stress. More than 90m workings days are lost each year.

How many people are affected?

One in six adults at any one time has a mental health problem - maybe as many as 9 million are affected.

Workplace stress affects around one in five workers, around 5m people. And stress-related conditions are the most commonly reported cause of sickness absence. Around 895,900 adults on Incapacity Benefit report their primary condition to be mental ill health.

Depression is the most common form of mental health problem with one in six people having it at some point during their life. It is most common in the 25 to 44-year-old age group.

One in 100 have more severe forms of problems such as manic depression and schizophrenia.

Women are more likely to have neurotic disorder such as anxiety or depression than men. But men are three times more likely to be alcohol dependent and twice as likely to be drug dependent.

One in 10 children under 16 has a mental health problem. Among 11 to 15-year-olds, 13% of boys and 10% of girls have a mental health problem.

Among the elderly, dementia is one of the most common problems. Some 5% of over 65s and up to one in five over 80s have dementia.

Is it getting worse?

Most reports that have been published recently suggest levels of mental health problems are on the rise.

Self-harm is said to be increasing, particularly among children. Childline reports that the number of self-harm calls has been rising for the past decade and in the last 12 months jumped by nearly a third to 4,300 calls a year.

Depression is the most common form of mental health problem

Dementia is set to increase also with the predicted trebling of the number of over 85s in the next 40 years, Friends of the Elderly says.

Anxiety and depression have also shown consistent year-on-year rises. By 2020, depression is expected to become the most common illness worldwide, according to US research.

Although schizophrenia is said to have remained fairly constant over recent years with about one in 100 having the condition.

However, those working in mental health often claim it is not so simple, arguing more openness and better diagnosing is leading to increased numbers being reported.

What did health campaigners want?

While much of the public health debate has surrounded obesity and drinking, campaigners believe there is much to be done to help people with mental health professionals.

The Mental Health Foundation said there needs to be a dramatic rethink on the way mental health is perceived.

Chief executive Dr Andrew McCulloch said people needed to be encouraged to look after their mental health as they do physical health.

"An overall approach is needed to promote mental well-being rather than managing mental illness in a reactive way."

Marjorie Wallace, Sane's chief executive, said mental health had to be made a priority.

"There needs to be greater awareness and understanding by the public and health professionals.

"Doctors need to intervene when they see a patient in the early stages of depression. The lead must come from the government."

She said she would like to see leaflets about mental health placed in all GP surgeries.

Rethink wants to see mental health discrimination further incorporated into disability discrimination legislation.

And Mind said mental health should be treated with the same importance as slimming, smoking and exercise.