LONDON, Dec 6: Couples are struggling to stay together as they face money worries and the threat of redundancy in the economic downturn, said Britain’s counselling service Relate, which has seen its workload soar.

Relate on Saturday reported a rise of almost 60 per cent in the number of couples seeking help with their relationships in October and November this year as compared with last year.

“The problems are to do with the recession, to do with job insecurity, to do with interest rates changing and also the escalating costs of running the family,” Christine Northam, a spokeswoman for Relate, told BBC radio.

“If you’re dealing with these anxieties all on your own it can be very isolating, and can lead to depression and anxiety.—Reuters