Pandemic affecting the mental health of almost half of UK adults - new report

Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of the government’s Department of Health and Social Care, has this week published a new report providing insights into people’s mental health in the UK since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

The new Every Mind Matters survey found that 49% of UK adults felt that the pandemic has impacted negatively on their mental health and wellbeing. This follows Mind’s own research published in June last year, which found that 60% of adults in England and Wales felt that their mental health had gotten worse during the first UK lockdown.

Note: the Mind report defines “adults” as anyone over 25 years and only applies to England and Wales, whereas the PHE report measures people over 18 years in the UK overall.

Among the other findings of the survey were that 46% of people had been experiencing more periods of low mood, 46% more anxiety, 44% more stress, and 34% sleep problems. Some of the most common reasons given for why the pandemic had affected people’s mental health were missing friends and family (56%), uncertainty about the future (53%), worries about family’s safety and health (53%), and loneliness (53%).

The headlines from the PHE survey resonate closely with those of Mind’s 2020 pandemic report, which found that “Not being able to see people (79%), not being able to go outside (74%), and anxiety about family and friends getting coronavirus (74%) were the main drivers of poorer mental health during lockdown.”

Despite these concerning figures, PHE reports that 60% of survey respondents feel hopeful about the future. Additionally, three-quarters of the people questioned reported that they are planning to take or have already taken steps to look after their mental wellbeing — the main ways in which they had done or were planning to do so included exercising regularly (32%), eating well (29%), and talking more to friends and family members (28%).

Clare Perkins, Director of the Mental Health Programme at PHE, commented about the report: “While the experience of the pandemic has been different for everyone, there’s no doubt it has caused unprecedented challenges, and, not surprisingly, many of us are now experiencing poorer mental wellbeing. Stress, anxiety and worry are very natural feelings in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, and looking after our mental wellbeing has never been more important.”

Nadine Dorries, Minister for Mental Health, added: “It is understandable that many of us will be feeling fed up, worried and anxious about the weeks ahead. For most, these feelings will subside as we draw on our own resilience, adapt to new circumstances and take comfort from the hope of better days ahead. […] Whoever you are and whatever your situation, you are not alone and if you are struggling, there is support out there so I urge you to reach out and ask for help.”

You can read more insights from the report on the government website. Click the button below to go to the Every Mind Matters website and get a free Mind Plan by answering 5 easy questions.