Two East Lancashire towns have been uncovered as areas of the UK that most need to manage their stress.

The study assessed the number of monthly Google searches for 233 search terms related to stress and anxiety across cities and towns in the UK.

The total monthly amount was then scaled against the population of each city to give a total number of searches per 100,000 residents.

Blackburn came in second place with 1,979 searches per 100,000 residents, equivalent to 65 searches per day.

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It was found the town has a depression rate higher than the national average for adults, and unemployment is around 4.7 per cent according to the latest Office for National Statistics data.

Burnley was ranked as the fourth most stressed place in the country, with the town seeing a monthly average of 1,864 searches.

According to the 2019 index of multiple deprivation, Burnley was ranked 11th out of 317 authorities in England, making it an area high in the need for support.

The most stressed place in the country was found to be Preston, with 2,006 monthly searches per 100,000 people.

Unemployment rates for the city were as high as four per cent as of September. Despite this falling compared to 2022, it is still above the national average of 3.9 per cent in 2023.

Dr Mansoor Siddique, director of CBD Oil King, who conducted the study, said: “Stress can be caused by a multitude of factors including work, unemployment, disability, mental health issues, crime rates, poverty and so on.

“It is shocking to note that the Mental Health Foundation’s most recent study found that 74 per cent of Brits have felt an overwhelming amount of stress across the previous year, with a further third saying they had experienced suicidal thoughts because of it.

“We must do more to help those around us in such situations and we can also help ourselves by having healthy coping mechanisms ahead of time that we can put to use.

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“Various factors, whether socioeconomic or genetic, influence individuals' ability to cope with stress and anxiety and it is key people have support systems in place that can help them manage any worries they may be having.

“This is why it is imperative for local authorities, employers, and society as a whole to create places where free and open discussion on mental health takes place. Doing so will hopefully decrease the burden many feel weighed down by.”