Nearly a quarter (23%) of the adults in the East of England are affected by debilitating anxiety conditions and many are missing out on free, effective treatment that could help improve their lives.

New analysis of NHS data shows that over 670,000 people nationally were treated through NHS talking therapy care last year – nearly 70,000 more than pre-pandemic (12% increase on 2019) – with a record 83,000 accessing employment support through the service in 2025 to help them return to work (20% increase on 2024).

However, around one in five adults in England (an estimated 9.4 million) and in the East of England nearly a quarter of adults (23%) are now affected by a common mental health condition.

The NHS has launched a landmark new campaign urging those facing six common anxiety conditions to seek support by self-referring online at nhs.uk/talk.

While conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have a huge impact on people’s daily lives, a new NHS survey of over 2,000 adults found that nearly half (49%) of those surveyed in the East of England delay seeking treatment and support as they feel the conditions are ’not serious enough‘ – with nearly a quarter (24%) not seeking help at all.

NHS talking therapies provide people with practical skills and techniques to overcome mental health conditions like OCD, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and phobias.

Anyone can self-refer online without seeing their GP or having a diagnosed mental health condition.

Professor Edward Morris CBE Regional Medical Director & Chief Clinical Information Officer, NHS England – East of England Region, said:

“Around 23% of adults in the east of England have a common mental health condition. This is higher than the national figure of 20.2%. While it’s encouraging to see more people accessing NHS support in recent years, we know that thousands more could benefit from vital NHS talking therapies.

“This campaign is a critical step in opening up support to anyone whose life, work or relationships are being affected by OCD, phobias, body dysmorphic disorder, social anxiety or PTSD.

“Through treatment, these conditions can be overcome to help people return to work and regain confidence. It’s free, and your GP can refer you, or you can refer yourself online.

“You’ll speak to a trained therapist about your thoughts and feelings and learn practical skills and techniques so you can overcome your condition and help get you back to living your life.”

Romy, 42, from Suffolk, who works in communications, spoke about her experiences with phobia: “Since childhood, I’ve had an extreme phobia of the dentist – it was a physical reaction that completely took over.

“I physically couldn’t stay in the waiting room, couldn’t go through the door, and even hearing people talk about dental appointments could make me cry.

“Therapy helped me realise that I wasn’t scared it would hurt – I was terrified of an involuntary response I couldn’t control, rooted in something that had happened to me as a child.

“CBT helped me understand what was really going on and gave me the language to explain it. That changed everything.

“When I eventually needed major dental work (two root canals after an accident roller-skating), I was able to put practical steps in place with my dentist, and I felt calm and in control. Even now, every time I go to the dentist, I feel like a small child celebrating that I did it!”

The latest NHS talking therapies statistics show that the vast majority of patients referred to the service access treatment within six weeks, with 88.6% accessing services within six weeks of their referral last year.

Also speaking out about the benefits of NHS talking therapies as part of the campaign is Phil, 31, a Programmes director based in Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire.

Phil came to realise he had been living with undiagnosed PTSD for five years, following the loss of his father from a brain tumour in 2019. Phil also believes that he might have been experiencing symptoms, such as avoidance and distressing memories, for longer due to other traumatic events in his life.

A conversation with a close friend encouraged Phil to seek help, and he discovered he could self‑refer to NHS Talking Therapies online for free. Phil is now thriving at work, feeling connected socially, and able to approach the anniversary of his father’s death with strength instead of avoidance.  

Phil said: “I’ve always found it hard to open up and be honest with how I’m feeling. For five years I ignored my symptoms of PTSD, which quietly destroyed my life – from quitting six jobs in six years, to feeling isolated after I pushed everyone away.

“I discovered I could refer myself for NHS therapy, and that became a life changing process for me.

“Now, I’m doing really well in my career, I’ve reconnected with loved ones and I even ran the London Marathon. Now I’m someone who gives things a go, something that PTSD robbed me of for many years.”

His message to others is: “If you are struggling with something, please seek help as there is so much support out there and you’re not the only person going through this. It will get better.”

NHS talking therapies treatment involves talking to a trained professional in a safe space about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and can include methods such as CBT, counselling or guided self-help, depending on the mental health condition.

ENDS

Editors’ notes:

Summary of regional and national statistics from the Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Nearly two-thirds (60%) A of the public surveyed nationally* admit not know anything about the six common anxiety conditions, despite having heard of these conditions.
• Over a third (41%) B of people surveyed in the East of England think ‘most people are a bit OCD’ and over half (51%) C think phobias are simply ‘a strong dislike’ of something.
• Nearly a quarter (23%) D of people surveyed in the East of England believe PTSD mainly ‘affects military veterans’, and three in ten (15%) E think social anxiety is ‘the same as being shy’. One in six (17%) F think panic attacks are ‘just in your head’ and don’t have physical symptoms.
• Nearly two in five respondents* nationally (38%) G said they were confident they could recognise the symptoms of PTSD, OCD, social anxiety disorder, phobias, body dysmorphic disorder or panic disorder.
• Nearly half (49%) H people in the region surveyed affected** put off seeking help because they worried ‘it was not serious enough’, while nearly a quarter of the region (24%) I didn’t seek help at all.
• The survey also found 2 in 5 (42%) J people surveyed in the region with these anxiety conditions*** said others around them were generally ‘unaware’ of their struggles with everyday situations such as social interactions, work tasks or going to new places.
• Nearly half of people surveyed in the East of England said they did not know anything about social anxiety disorder (46%) K and panic disorder (49%) L, while two thirds (67% – the highest proportion of all regions) did not know what Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) M is.

* of those who have never had or thought they have had PTSD, OCD, SAD, BDD, panic disorder or phobias

** of those who have ever had or have thought they have had any of the previously listed mental health conditions

*** of those who have ever had or have thought they have had any of the previously listed mental health conditions and have struggled with any everyday scenarios due to their symptoms/condition.

Common symptoms for these conditions include:

• frequent obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours (OCD)
• long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations (social anxiety disorder)
• involuntarily and vividly reliving traumatic events in the form of flashbacks or nightmares (PTSD)
• having regular and sudden panic attacks, often for no apparent reason (panic disorder)
• having an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal (phobia)
• obsessive thoughts and worry about your appearance (body dysmorphic disorder)

The NHS campaign will run for 6 weeks with adverts showing across TV-on-demand services, online video, radio, digital audio and podcasts, social media and search engines.

You can find out more and refer yourself for NHS Talking Therapies at nhs.uk/talk.