Lockdown has led to “deterioration” in UK mental health, warns Mind

Not being able to see friends and family and financial anxieties have led to a massive decline in wellbeing, according to a survey.

By Rohan Banerjee

LONDON - JUNE 02: Crisis Volunteer Sheila Angel sits in her bedroom where she usually logs in for her work with the crisis text service Shout 85258, on June 02, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. At 75, Sheila is one of the oldest volunteers for the crisis helpline and was surprised by the huge age range of texters she speaks with, from 12 to 60, discussing a huge range of subjects. Regularly working the late shifts, Sheila often works from her bedroom, dealing with late night texts from those who are reaching out for support and assistance, with talk of suicide, relationship problems, eating disorders and many more. The anonymity on both sides of the conversation prevents those contacting the service from having any pre-conceptions about the help they are getting from the volunteer, something that Sheila thinks makes the service so helpful for such a wide range of people. Shout is the UK's first 24/7 crisis text line for everyone, and is free, confidential and anonymous to text. Powered by a team of Crisis Volunteers, Shout uses the anonymised data collated to give the service unique insights into mental health trends to help improve people’s lives. In the weeks before lockdown was announced on March 23rd, Shout was typically handling around 750 conversations a day. This has been steadily growing, often seeing more than 1,000 conversations a day. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, recently revealed that he has been one such volunteer anonymously counseling people during the Covid-19 lockdown, after having been trained by the charity. The Cambridges and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex helped launch the Shout 85258 service last year, investing £3 million via their Royal Foundation. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

The UK’s lockdown measures against the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating effect on the nation’s mental health, according to a survey carried out by the charity Mind.

Not being able to see friends and family members regularly, as well as increased anxiety around finances, job security and the virus itself, Mind found, had contributed to a “deterioration” in people’s wellbeing. Mind has warned that there could be an “even bigger crisis coming later on” unless government takes urgent action to address “stressor” factors, including housing policy and the future of the furlough scheme.

Mind’s survey, which collated responses from over 16,000 members of the public, found that 65 per cent of adults with pre-existing mental health issues had seen their conditions worsen since March.

The survey also suggested that disruption to mental health services caused by Covid-19 – while some were able to move their treatments online, many others were not – had contributed to poorer mental health. Mind’s research pointed out that there were disparities in people’s access to the internet; indeed, some 25 per cent of respondents said that they had tried to access NHS services, but had been unable to get support.

Off the back of its findings, Mind has made several recommendations to the UK government, including reforming the Mental Health Act and further investment in the benefits system.

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Megan Pennell, the charity’s parliamentary and campaigns manager said: “What we really want to emphasise is that as well as this being a physical health crisis, it is just as much a mental health emergency.” She added: “If we don’t invest now, we will have a much bigger challenge on our hands.”