How is the nation’s current mental health?
Since March 2020, the Mental Health Foundation has been running a study called Coronavirus: Mental Health in the Pandemic, surveying the UK population to find out about people’s emotional responses to the pandemic. The latest findings from the study reflect a mixed picture of the mental health of the nation. Although anxiety about the pandemic has fallen, loneliness has risen, fewer people are coping well with the impact of the pandemic and feelings of hopelessness have remained the same.
This is what Dr Antonis Kousoulis, Director for England and Wales at the Mental Health Foundation had to say about the results of the study
The Study has tracked the pandemic’s impacts on our mental health for a year now. What we see is a complex picture – on some measures, UK adults are feeling better than in March 2020 but on others, we are feeling no better or worse. Fewer of us are feeling anxious about the pandemic but more of us now feel lonely and ground down by the stress of the past year.
It is absolutely important to remember that the experience of the past year has not been shared by everyone. We have all been in the same storm, but we have not all been in the same boat. The Coronavirus vaccine brings hope. The warmer weather brings smiles. However, for many of us, the next few months – and even years – will remain tough, vulnerable and uncertain.
Although the current situation continues to be challenging, we hope that the impact of the pandemic sheds light on issues such as mental health, workplace mental health and work/life balance as well as general wellbeing enough to support long term changes to how mental health is managed across all platforms.
Earlier this year, the UK Government unveiled its £500 million mental health recovery plan. The plan includes:
- Investment into the NHS talking therapies service (IAPT services) of an additional £38million
- Training of additional therapists to support those with more complex mental health needs
- Improved community based mental health services
- Specific support, following the impact of the pandemic, for those with learning disabilities and autism
- ‘Levelling up’ plans to support those in more deprived areas of the UK
- Support for young people, 18 to 25 to bridge the gap between children’s and adult services
- Voluntary and community-based programmes to support suicide prevention
For more information about the plans for the £500 million investment click here.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of mental health charity Mind, welcomed the investment but was clear about the need for further investment into the future as we realise the full impact of the pandemic on mental health;
This money can’t come soon enough and should be seen as a down payment for additional investment, which will inevitably be needed to meet increased demand for mental health support.
If you are struggling with your own mental health, we have set up a support helpline offering up to five free sessions with one of practitioners to go through coping strategies and techniques to deal with different mental health conditions from depression to anxiety and addiction. For more information visit
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