How lockdown has affected mental health

During the Covid-19 pandemic one of the biggest measures taken by government was extended periods of ‘lockdown’. Where the population was urged to stay in their house, only leaving for essential goods. This meant that the public were unable to see friends and family for months and this can only negatively impact on mental health. Between 2019 and 2020 depression rates have increased massively, with 31% of 16-39 showing signs of depression in 2020 compared to just over 10% the year before. Coronavirus has fueled anxiety and fears for the future with the office for national statistics (ons) reporting that 85% of brits were feeling anxious and stressed in June of 2020 and 72% were worried about their future.

It was widely reported that teenagers’ mental health was impacted on the most throughout lockdown with school, college and universities moving online, not being able to meet their friends all while having the pressure of exams and with their social life taking a massive hit. Youth mental health support charity YoungMinds has recently reported that one in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2020, a huge increase from one in nine in 2017. That’s five children in every UK classroom. With 80% of those saying that the pandemic has made their mental health worse and nearly half of 17–19-year-olds with a diagnosable mental health disorder has self-harmed or attempted suicide at some point, rising to 52.7% for young women. With these statistics it is easy to see why suicide was the leading cause of death for those aged between five and 34 in 2019. But according to children’s society, 75% of those with mental health problems are not getting the help they need with only 34% of those who visit a GP being referred for treatment.

One of the most hard-hit groups in the UK during the pandemic was the over 65s, with 43% of those being advised to shield 70 or over life changed drastically for the older generations during the pandemic. They were unable to see family and loved ones for the best part of a year, they were unable to do basic everyday things such as shopping for groceries, meeting friends or simply leaving the house for some fresh air, all because they were most at risk of the virus. This left many fearing that their last days would be spent alone, bored and most importantly away from their families. Older people also faced struggles with communication as the world entered a craze of video calls and online chat to keep up to date with friends and family whilst staying in their own homes, with many in the over 65 categories not particularly tech savvy, finding it hard to keep up to date with those most important in their lives. Depression affects around 22% of men and 28% of women aged 65 years and over, yet it is estimated that 85% of older people with depression receive no help at all from the NHS.

Young people, women, individuals from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with pre-existing mental health problems reported the worst mental health outcomes in the initial phase of the national lockdown. With suicidal thoughts increasing from 8% to 10% and they were highest among young adults (18-29 years), rising from 12.5% to 14%.

The researchers say that, even though those are relatively small rises, they are significant because of the short period of time they happened over.