Shocking Mental Health Figures

The Scottish Government have announced that 11% of Scots aged over 15 are taking anti-depressant drugs, the highest level since records began.
That is a staggering amount of people but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 4 people globally are treated for one or more mental disorder at some stage in their life and mental health problems represent 50% of all disabilities worldwide.
An even more worrying figure from the WHO report is the 3,000 people who commit suicide every day in the world and for every person that succeeds in taking their own life, there are at least 20 more who thankfully survive.
The global suicide rate is up 60% over the last 50 years and in 90% of cases, mental illness is the attributing cause.
So what is it over the past 50 years that has led to such a dramatic increase in mental health problems that a quarter of the planet are having to take drugs to cope with just living?
One theory suggested is that as psychiatry has evolved from the days when anyone showing mental illness were given electric shock treatment and institutionalised, a more efficient diagnosis is available and we are finally recognising the true figures of mental illness in society.
Another theory is the increasing availability of alcohol and illegal drugs which have become more readily accessible in this day and age and contributing to mental and emotional imbalance.
Perhaps the criteria for being labelled 'mentally ill' has changed and more people are finding themselves meeting the criteria with doctors becoming rather prescription happy when it comes to dishing out the anti-depressants.
There are certainly more additives, chemicals, colourings, sweeteners and heaven knows what being added to our food nowadays and research has shown that these can have an effect on peoples behaviour or maybe it is down to today's fast paced lifestyle and pressures.
I don't know what the reason is that so many of us are not coping with modern life, i would suggest a combination of all of the above but it seems the World we have created is not good for our health and I can't see things getting any better as the population rises and our personal space grows ever smaller.