Talking therapies boosted by study

The introduction of "talking therapies" rather than just drugs to deal with depression and chronic anxiety would pay for itself by reduced expenditure on incapacity benefits, according to a study from the London School of Economics. Psychological therapies were as effective as drugs, preferred by patients,but extremely thin on the ground, the report from the Centre for Economic Performances mental health policy group said. Waiting lists over nine months were common. Yet there were more mentally ill people on incapacity benefit than the total number of benefit claimants, and one in three families was affected by depression or chronic anxiety at some stage. A course of treatment costs about £750 and by 2013 it should be possible to train 10,000 extra therapists to provide a service everywhere, the group led by Professor Richard Layard, a former government adviser, said.

Nicholas Timmins