A THIRD of adults in the South West suffer mental health problems due to housing pressures.

The research comes from housing charity Shelter, which reveals more than a million people in the region have suffered long-term stress, anxiety and depression because of housing problems, and many are seeking help from GPs.

In some of the worst cases, people have suicidal thoughts.

A majority of people who have experienced housing problems in the last five years such as poor conditions, struggling to pay the rent or being threatened with eviction, have reported a negative impact on their mental health, the charity said.

Claire, 37, who rents privately with her family in Poole, said her housing problems have put serious pressure on her mental health.

Claire said: “Me and my family have had to struggle through so many serious problems with our home, and it makes it really hard on my mental health.

"It is really depressing. I used to be a chef and I’ve got a kitchen that is falling apart. The only thing that keeps me going in the day is cooking for my family and that is intolerable here.

“My housing situation has made my bipolar much harder to manage. I’m trying accept that it is part of who I am and what I am but that requires a lot of mental control and that’s hard enough without going through all this.”

Shelter's top five tips on easing the pressure of housing problems include:

n Whatever the housing pressure, if it’s affecting your mental health, take the first step towards getting help at shelter.org.uk

n If you’re living in a home that isn’t up to scratch, find out what your landlord should do to fix bad conditions

n If you’re falling behind on the rent, get advice and help on negotiating on rent arrears

n Talk to one of Shelter’s housing advisers straight away if you’re facing eviction

n You can get help for mental health issues through charities like Rethink or Mind, or speak to your local GP