Debt not only affects people’s finances but also their mental health, Debt Advisory Centre says.

One out of three people who worry about debt fear their mental health has been affected, while the same number of UK adults worry about debt most or all of the time.

More than one in four respondents who worried about debt said they feared it was also having an impact on their physical health and wellbeing.

Ian Williams, Debt Advisory Centre spokesman, said: “The link between mental health problems and problem debt is well established.

“Although there is a wide range of face-to-face, online and telephone debt advice available, for many people taking the first step to share their debt problem is the hardest thing to do.

“But those who do seek help often find things start to improve very quickly. In fact, many of our clients report feeling relief after just the first phone call with one of our advisors, because somebody has listened to them without judging them and they’ve taken the first positive step towards resolving their debt problem.”

Constantly worrying about household finances can leave a person feeling exhausted, anxious and hopeless, with a survey revealing that more than one in three said debt worries had put pressure on their relationship with family members.

People in their mid-30s to 40s were most likely to be at risk because of money worries.

One in four will experience mental health problems at some point in their lives, yet for those with debt problems this stands at one in two.