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EIGHTY PER CENT OF PEOPLE IN THE NORTH WEST SUFFER PMT - PAYDAY MONTHLY TENSION
FORGET
women's woes, PMT hits all of us according to a new survey carried out by Lloyds TSB in an investigation to the stresses and strains of the arrival of the monthly pay packet.
Men and women alike all ride a monthly roller coaster that affects moods, emotions, diet and the way they interact with others. Of those surveyed, in the North West, two thirds say they experience PMT, feeling depressed, moody and worried before payday. Sixty per cent admit to running their funds so low that they have less than a hundred pounds to their name before payday. Of those, a fifth are in overdraft, and one in ten just can't face checking their balance.
However the tables turn when our money hits the bank. Come pay day, three quarters of people in the North West feel relief. A third feel overjoyed, while one in ten say getting paid adds sunshine to their lives and they feel more upbeat about life in general. However, 15 per cent have admitted to blowing the lot in one go, and by week four more than half (52 per cent) have admitted to scavenging around the house for spare change.
Lloyds TSB carried out the research to see if the high credit interest paid on Plus credit interest accounts has more than just a financial effect on their customers.
Martin Bunn, from Lloyds TSB, said:- "If you suffer PMT we have the financial equivalent of evening primrose oil - we're offering all new customers up to 4.2 per cent credit interest and it's available to all new customers who open a Plus account before the end of the year - no other high street bank comes anywhere near that.
We even help alleviate PMT in the days leading up to payday. A quarter of Scots say they are in overdraft by the end of the month. We're offering new customers a free overdraft until the end of 2004." 
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Chinese MHO launched in Liverpool
LIVERPOOL is welcoming mental health experts from across the UK, as the city hosts a landmark event for Britain's Chinese communities.
The city, which has one of the oldest Chinese communities in the UK, has been chosen to host the official launch of a national Mental Health Organisation which will provide advice, help and support for Chinese people across the UK.
The UK Association for Chinese Mental Health was launched yesterday in association of Mental health professionals from cities including Belfast, Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Kent are coming to Liverpool for the special event.
The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Ron Gould, joined Riverside MP, Louise Ellman, Lord Michael Chan of Oxton and Albert Persaud, Department of Health, for talks on policy, decision making, and raising awareness among the Chinese community about mental health issues and services.
Councillor Gould, who has been a community and mental health pharmacist for 45 years, is speaking at the conference. He said:- "Liverpool's Chinese population is one of the oldest in Europe, and it is fitting that the city is hosting the launch of a national organisation which will improve provision and understanding of mental health services in the Chinese community.
"One of my aims for my term of office is to make it a year where no one is left behind, and I'm delighted that Liverpool has a key role to play in making sure the UK's Chinese communities have access to the highest possible standards of mental health care."
Liverpool hosted the National Chinese Mental Health Conference for the first time in 2002. The Pagoda Chinese Community Centre, funded by the city council, has been instrumental in bringing the delegates back to the city, to discuss the findings of last year's conference.
They will distribute a special report which was produced after last year's conference, which aims to highlight the needs of Chinese service users and carers, and the future of mental health care.
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