The government has pledged that it will invest more money into debt counselling services to help British people survive the recession.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell revealed that an extra £13 million will be ploughed into the rollout of psychological therapies over the next two years, providing a faster service for GPs to refer their patients to.

The new programme will include a ‘talking therapies’ service for people with mild to moderate depression, with job support workers at every centre. NHS Direct phone line workers will also be trained to spot people that might be experiencing depression due to the economic climate and increased threat of redundancies.

Mr Johnson said:

“In the current economic downturn, the potential exists for more people to become anxious or depressed and experience lower levels of mental well-being. No one should be left in any doubt about where to turn. The NHS as a whole will be better equipped to recognise these issues and refer people to appropriate treatment or support.”

The new measures have been welcomed by many companies and organisations, including Norwich Union Healthcare, whose recent research revealed that counselling significantly increases the likelihood of people remaining in work and returning following a period of absence.