MORE than one in ten people across the borough are living with depression or anxiety, recently released figures show.

Statistics by Public Health England show that 11.5 per cent of registered patients in Slough were suffering with at least one of the mental health conditions at the start of last year.

The rates of depression in Slough have increased since the last time the count was taken in 2015, rising by 2.9 per cent.

However, this is actually much lower than national averages. 13.7 per cent of people reported living with depression of anxiety nationwide at the beginning of last year, and 12.5 per cent in the South East.

The collected data reveals a number of trends, with women being more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety than their male counterparts.

Deprived areas also generally reported higher rates than richer areas.

The Royal Borough was found to be the eighth-happiest borough in the nation, with among the lowest rates of depression and anxiety.

The most depressed area in the nation was found to be Liverpool, where nearly one in five people are suffering from the mental health conditions.

Stephen Buckley, from mental health charity Mind, said: “Symptoms of mental health problems vary from person to person, but if you’re experiencing depression you might feeling low, numb, worthless or without hope.

“Everyone experiences good days and bad days but if the feelings don’t go away after a couple of weeks or keep returning, it could be a sign that you’re experiencing a common mental health problem like depression or an anxiety disorder.

“As attitudes towards mental health improve and with it the understanding that help is available, we’re going to see more and more people seek support.

“No matter where you live, it is important that everyone has access to quality mental health services, when they are in need of them.”