Unemployment is hitting the mentally ill twice as hard as it is the general population, a study has found.

People with mental health problems have been disproportionately affected by the recession, said researchers.

Across Europe, between 2006 and 2010, their unemployment rate had risen by 5.5% compared with 2.7% for those unaffected by mental illness.

In 2010, unemployment in Europe stood at 18.2% for people with mental health problems and 9.8% for other members of the population.

The findings, reported in the journal Public Library of Science ONE, are based on data from more than 20,000 people in 27 countries.

Lead author Dr Sara Evans-Lacko, from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, said: "This is the first study to show that the European economic crisis has had a profound impact on people with mental health problems, compared to those without."

Men with mental health problems were especially affected. In 2010, more than one-fifth of them – 21.7% – were unemployed.

Stigmatising attitudes contributed to the trend, said the researchers. Co-author Professor Graham Thornicroft, also from the Institute of Psychiatry, said: "During periods of economic recession, attitudes to people with mental health problems may harden, further deepening social exclusion. Governments need to be aware of these risks, and employers of their legal duty to comply with the Equality Act to support people with mental health problems."