THIRTY per cent more people in Dorset are suffering from depression – compared to three years ago.

Health statistics show 6.3 per cent were recorded as having some form of depression in 2014 compared to 8.9 per cent in 2017.

But new techniques for measuring may explain some of the large increase with the figures taken from people registered with their doctor as suffering from depression.

A report before the county council People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on July 4th says: “This confirms the widely reported year on year increase in the number of people suffering from depression, which is slightly lower than the national figure. The People and Communities Committee has had a strong focus on mental health this year, including a dedicated inquiry day on the issue.”

Nationally one in four people will experience a mental health problem each year – according to figures from MIND, the NHS, Young Minds, and the Royal College of Nursing.

The average age of onset for depression, as diagnosed now, is 14, compared to 45 in the 1960s when different diagnostic techniques were used.

There was a 116% rise in young people who talked about suicide during Childline (UK) counselling sessions in 2013-14, compared to 2010/11.

Funding for mental health trust budgets in England were cut by 8.25% from 2011 to 2015 while over the same period there was a 20% rise in referrals to community mental health teams in England.

A total of 2,100 beds for mental health patients were closed from 2011 to mid-2016 in England; In England as of May 2016, 41% of people referred to a talking therapy have a three month wait between referral and treatment.