75,000 people in Glasgow are believed to be suffering from mental health problems like depression or anxiety.

The main factors include deprivation and loneliness, with research showing being lonely is as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Two years ago the city council set up a health and inequality commission which brought together councillors, public health experts, community groups and people who had experienced poverty and poor health.

They heard evidence from a wide range of organisations and individuals and have now published a lengthy report detailing their findings and recommendations.

The report says: “Glasgow has enjoyed economic success in recent years yet this has not led to improvements in health for those in our most deprived communities.

“It is clear the economic success story of Glasgow has not been shared by all of our citizens.”

The commission found mental health is a significant issue for the city both for those in work and the unemployed.

People with severe mental health illness in Glasgow suffer higher death rates compared to the general population in both the city and Scotland.

The commission heard testimonies and reviewed literature to understand the impact of poor mental health, loneliness and isolation have on health, looked at what works elsewhere both in the UK and worldwide and visited community projects.

The report says: “Manifestations of mental ill health are increasingly common and it is clearly more prevalent in our more disadvantaged communities.

“We believe GPs in Glasgow are currently not well resourced to deal with the health challenges in our most deprived communities.

“The current basis for allocating health funding to primary care does not sufficiently take account of the impact of poverty and deprivation on both physical and mental health in our communities.

“The commission calls for a review of the model for allocation of GP funding to ensure our most deprived communities benefit from a level of resourcing sufficient to their needs.

“We call on all partners to prioritise the importance of tackling loneliness and isolation in our city.

“We believe this is fundamental to improving he health of Glaswegians and effectively tackling health inequalities.

“Social connections can substantially improve the health and alongside tackling poverty, offers a real opportunity to tackle the health inequalities Glasgow is famous for.”

Councillor Russell Robertson, chairman of Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, said mental health issues are a real challenge for the city.

He added: “Glasgow has a great many assets and as a council and with city partners we need to do more to make sure all our citizens can access and be part of our community and a healthier Glasgow.”