Having therapy for mental health problems also keeps you in better shape physically and cuts the risk of being admitted to hospital, research shows.
Data from 630,000 adults shows that those who receive talking therapy for anxiety or depression are 20 per cent less likely to need hospital treatment for a physical illness or disease in the long term.
Getting help including sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was found to have a similar benefit to exercising twice a week in cutting the risk of severe physical illnesses.
The report by the health insurance firm Vitality found that therapy also reduced the likelihood of being hospitalised for mental health problems by 21 per cent.
Doctors said the findings showed that greater access to therapy, a relatively cheap treatment, could save the NHS huge amounts of money by reducing hospital costs and stopping mental health conditions worsening.
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Early intervention to improve mental health helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, because people are more likely to adopt a healthy lifestyle and adhere to medication.
The research, which looked at participants’ health records between 2015 and this year, also shows that exercise is a key tool to avoid hospital treatment.
People who exercised at least five days a week were 29 per cent less likely to need hospital treatment over the study period. Even exercising one day a week was shown to lead to a 15 per cent reduction in hospital treatment, compared with those who were inactive.
Dr Katie Tryon, director of health strategy at Vitality UK, said the research demonstrated a “holistic approach to healthcare” was vital to relieving pressure on the NHS.
She said: “By addressing mental health as part of a comprehensive approach, we can help individuals achieve better health outcomes in the long term. It highlights the necessity of investing in mental health treatment as part of a preventative healthcare model to improve long-term health outcomes and deliver healthcare in a more sustainable and effective way.”
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There has been a five-fold increase in claims for therapy among Vitality members since 2015, and it accounts for 85 per cent of all mental health claims. Half of those seeking therapy are women under the age of 40, most of whom have anxiety or depression.
The most common type of therapy for mental health problems is CBT, which teaches people coping strategies and techniques to reframe negative thoughts, so that they do not get trapped in a “negative cycle”.
Unlike some other types of counselling, CBT deals with the patient’s current problems rather than focusing on their past. Talking therapy is proven to be effective and most patients do not need any further treatment, but long NHS waiting lists can make access difficult.
One in four people suffer from mental health problems such as depression or anxiety each year. Last year 1.81 million people were referred to NHS therapy services for anxiety and depression in England, either through their GP or self-referral.
Health experts say investing in therapy services is crucial to reducing record rates of long-term sickness, which has been driven by rising levels of mental illness.
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There are a record 2.6 million people off work with long-term sickness, half of whom have depression, anxiety or stress.
