1 in 8 UK adults have suicidal thoughts due to body image

A survey published by the Mental Health Foundation has revealed the worryingly widespread impact of body image issues on mental well-being. Among UK adults, 34 percent said they have felt anxious due to how they perceive their body, while a similar 35 percent said these feelings had led to some degree of depression. One in eight (13 percent) said that body image had caused them to have suicidal thoughts or feelings.

When breaking the results down, one demographic group reported startlingly higher rates of such thoughts. While women were more likely than men to feel suicidal due to body image, it is among lesbian, gay or bisexual respondents that the problem proved to be by far the most widespread - 33 percent saying their body image had caused them to have suicidal thoughts or feelings.

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