One in six Britons believes the country is already experiencing recession and one fifth admit the thought of such an economic slump actually frightens them, a new survey has revealed.

A study conducted by financial news resource Fool.co.uk discovered high levels of uncertainty among UK adults over the country’s fiscal status and one in 20 are concerned the credit crunch will continue "indefinitely".

One alarming figure revealed by the survey is that one-third of people who have not yet experienced a recession believe they have no choice but to use credit to manage.

Fool.co.uk discovered that almost three-quarters of all Britons believe the cheap availability of credit has damaged society.

However, many people may have found their financial situation is already tight even without a recession, as rises in the cost of credit and an increase in the cost of fuel and food has left many household incomes strained.

One option for people who are concerned they could be heading for bankruptcy as a result of their debt in an individual voluntary arrangement, usually called an IVA.