This is essential reading for people interested in mental health.
It’s a robust study by Mind, with more than 16,000 people sharing their experiences of mental health during the pandemic.
Key learnings from the report are:
- More than half of adults and over two thirds of young people said that their mental health has gotten worse during lockdown
- Restrictions on seeing people, being able to go outside and worries about the health of family and friends are key factors driving poor mental health
- Feelings of loneliness have made nearly two thirds of people’s mental health worse during the past month
- Many people do not feel entitled to seek help and have difficulty accessing it when they do
Most common coping strategies
- Over half of adults and young people are either over or under eating to cope
- Nearly a third are using alcohol or illegal drugs, with 18 -24-year olds using this coping strategy more than over 25’s
- A third of young people with existing mental health problems are self-harming to cope
- Connecting with family and friend online is the most popular way to cope amongst both young people and adults
As a direct consequence of the pandemic many people who were previously well will now develop mental health problems. So now more than ever it’s important to be mental health aware.
Full report can be downloaded here