One in seven won't have children from fear of terrorism

As much as 15 per cent of adults is reluctant to have children and 27 per cent less inclined to plan for the future because of world troubles, according to a survey published today.

Terrorism is people's greatest fear - 70 per cent say they are most worried about that, while immigration worries 58 per cent of people.

Environmental issues are less of a concern - only a third are worried about climate change (38%) and a quarter by the threat of a natural disaster (23%).

The YouGov survey, commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation ahead of World Mental Health Day on Wednesday, found that world events left some people feeling powerless (56%), angry (50%), anxious (35%) and depressed (26%).

To help cope with their worries, more than a third of respondents said they sought to find out more about an issue (38%).

Almost the same number said that talking to family and friends provided relief (33%). A quarter (25%) said voting helped, while 12 per cent found comfort in a religious or spiritual belief.

However one in three (30%) were of the opinion that nothing could alleviate their worry.

Commenting on the variations in people's worries, clinical psychologist Dr Michael Reddy said: "As social animals, we are sensitive to dangers from other humans that are intentional, such as terrorism.

"Accidental dangers, such as natural disasters, fail to motivate us in the same way.

"Immigration ranks highly as a worry because humans identify themselves as belonging to particular groups who share the same values and codes of behaviour this is one of our main ways of feeling secure.

"Feeling a threat to one's group from an unknown force, such as immigration, can threaten this sense of security and make people feel anxious.

"Humans tend not to register climate change as a threat because despite there being plenty of emerging scientific evidence on the subject, it doesn't leave the majority of people thinking they're at risk because the factual information doesn't reach the feeling part of the brain, which is where individuals sense threat."

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "The world is currently facing a number of different threats that seem to be resulting in a general level of heightened anxiety and frustration, as this survey shows.

"Even if a threat poses very little actual risk, the worry is still real and can impact on a person's day-to-day life and mental wellbeing.

"If angst is reaching a level where adults are contemplating whether or not to have children, then this could be a serious mental health issue because the current global issues aren't going away in a hurry.

"To help lessen any worry, a person should find out more about the issue that is concerning them and talk to others about it.

"It is normal to feel afraid and powerless about things we don't understand - educating ourselves and sharing concerns with others makes us feel more secure and helps us gain new outlooks.

"Immigration is a good example, as much evidence suggests that rather than posing any real threat it boosts our economy as well as enriching our communities."

YouGov surveyed 2,012 adults online between August 1 and 3.