Someone to talk to

About the study

Does Britain have a 'therapy culture', in which people are turning increasingly to formal or professional forms of emotional support, such as counselling and self-help groups? If not, how do people manage or cope with difficulties in their emotional lives? What is the role of family and friends, and how does this relate to use of formal services? How do people feel about talking about their emotions? Do some groups find this easier than others? What might this mean for policies aimed at improving mental wellbeing, either through direct service provision or reinforcement of social networks?

The study takes as its starting point the fact that, despite academic theorising about the 'rise of therapy culture' and the increasing policy attention to matters of mental well-being, very little empirical information is available in this area. Indeed, most studies to date have focused on existing users of services, rather than on the emotional life and needs of the broader population.

There are two main parts to the study. The first involves a set of questions in the British Social Attitudes survey, an annual study of public attitudes towards contemporary issues, and is designed to measure views and experiences of emotional support across the population as a whole. The survey, which will be based on interviews with 2,200 people, has questions on the different ways people catch up with family and friends and who they talk to if they are feeling worried, stressed or down. There are also some questions on people’s attitudes towards talking in general and talking about problems that make people feel worried stressed or down in particular.

The second part uses 50 in-depth qualitative interviews to explore – among other things – the role and importance of talk along side other forms of support; the basis on which people feel able to place 'emotional trust' in others (whether professionals, friends or family); perceptions of the ways in which views and experience of emotional support may have changed over time, both for individuals and for society more generally.


		About the study Does Britain have a 'therapy culture', in which people are turning increasingly to formal or professional forms of emotional support, such as counselling and self-help groups? If not, how do people manage or cope with difficulties in their emotional lives? What is the role of family and friends, and how does this relate to use of formal services? How do people feel about talking about their emotions? Do some groups find this easier than others? What might this mean for policies aimed at improving mental wellbeing, either through direct service provision or reinforcement of social networks? The study takes as its starting point the fact that, despite academic theorising about the 'rise of therapy culture' and the increasing policy attention to matters of mental well-being, very little empirical information is available in this area. Indeed, most studies to date have focused on existing users of services, rather than on the emotional life and needs of the broader population. There are two main parts to the study. The first involves a set of questions in the British Social Attitudes survey, an annual study of public attitudes towards contemporary issues, and is designed to measure views and experiences of emotional support across the population as a whole. The survey, which will be based on interviews with 2,200 people, has questions on the different ways people catch up with family and friends and who they talk to if they are feeling worried, stressed or down. There are also some questions on people’s attitudes towards talking in general and talking about problems that make people feel worried stressed or down in particular. The second part uses 50 in-depth qualitative interviews to explore – among other things – the role and importance of talk along side other forms of support; the basis on which people feel able to place 'emotional trust' in others (whether professionals, friends or family); perceptions of the ways in which views and experience of emotional support may have changed over time, both for individuals and for society more generally.