People are increasingly concerned about their finances.
That is according to research from CreditExpert, which found that financial worries have started to have a negative impact on the health of Brits.
Around 6.8 million people now feel that they owe more money than they can manage while 9.7 million feel they are at the edge of what they can cope with.
Chris Tapp, the director of Credit Action, said: "Even those people that don’t have a financial problem right now are worried about what the future might hold for them.
"We have seen a growth in people struggling with finances and that certainly has knocked on to people worrying more about them."
Mr Tapp added that it was "quite a serious problem" as it can affect everything from relationships to emotional well-being.
Last month, Key Retirement Solutions found that many people are using equity release schemes to reduce their mortgages and loans.
The third quarter of 2009 saw a 19 per cent increase on the second quarter of take-up of equity release plans.
By David Hancock
