Key stress indicators among adults worse than at start of pandemic

KEY indicators of stress among adults are worse now than at the start of the pandemic, according to research.

Tine Van Bortel, professor of global health from De Montfort University, and colleagues have surveyed UK adults at regular intervals about their mental health and wellbeing since March.

The findings suggest that, despite improvements in some areas over the summer, the longer-term trend is towards deepening distress.

The latest study involved 4,436 adults and was carried out between November 26 and 30 – after the announcement of successful vaccine trials.

It showed that since March, the extent of loneliness has risen, from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

Prof Van Bortel said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has eroded many of the things that normally protect our mental health – from social connectedness to financial security and hope for the future.

“Prolonged stress and loneliness negatively impact mental health and also contribute significantly towards poor physical health.

“These issues will become more apparent over time and will cause a huge burden for individuals, health services, communities and economies.”

The proportion who said they are “coping well with the stress of the pandemic” fell from 73 per cent in April to 62 per cent in November.

Reports of having had suicidal thoughts and feelings within the previous two weeks, as a result of the pandemic, were up from 8 per cent of those surveyed in April to 13 per cent in November.

“While the government has produced a policy paper for England on staying mentally well this winter, we need a more long-term strategy to address the mental health effects of the pandemic, as well as implementation of the devolved administrations’ Covid-19 mental health plans,” Prof Van Bortel said.

“Taking a proactive, long-term, preventative approach to poor mental health is the best way

to avoid people reaching crisis point and developing longer-term health problems.

“It is critical that the government takes a comprehensive and inclusive, whole-system wellbeing approach to pandemic recovery.”

Dr Antonis Kousoulis, director for England and Wales at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “At the beginning of the pandemic, we were very concerned that the longer it went on, the more serious the risks to our mental health would become.

“Unfortunately, this latest data appears to support that fear. It is clear that for millions of people distress is not going away and, on some important measures, problems are getting worse.

“There is no vaccine to protect our mental health against the consequences of the pandemic. Instead, we need to focus on prevention.”