A care worker from Beverley was addressing a conference in Leeds today about helping people with mental illnesses get back to work.

Alex Barrell overcame a mental illness and now works for Psypher, an early intervention service for young people experiencing psychosis.

He said: "I got back into work because I was sick of just existing.

"I wanted to live life, and there's more to life than watching TV and taking medication.

"Work is not just about making money.

"It allows you to meet other people and, hopefully, gain job satisfaction." Poor mental health costs the Yorkshire and Humber region's economy £6.4bn a year.

The Social Inclusion: Mental Health And Employment conference at Headingley Stadium in Leeds was focusing on reducing this figure by improving employment prospects for adults with mental health difficulties.

Rosie Winterton, Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber, and Ben Couper, a care worker from Bridlington, were also speaking at the conference, run by the Care Services Improvement Partnership and the Department of Health.