Fears at mental health impact of pandemic

One in four people say the pandemic will have a negative effect on their mental health in the future, according to new research.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland study also found that for those who had experienced a mental health problem before the pandemic, one third (33%) said their condition had worsened since March 2020.

A poll of 1,055 people from across Scotland found that 40% of those questioned think the pandemic will be damaging to their mental health over the next year.

Just under a third ( 32%) thought mental health services across Scotland are bad and almost half (46%) said the Scottish Government is investing too little in mental health services during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) in Scotland is now calling for more investment and commitment for mental health services, to deal with the demand.

Dr Jane Morris, consultant psychiatrist from RCPsych in Scotland, said: “These new statistics are deeply worrying and prove we are dealing with a mental health emergency.

“The lockdown , bereavement, job losses and isolation are all having an effect on the population’ s mental health and it’s concerning that those who were already dealing with illhealth have seen their condition deteriorate.

“We need more students and doctors to choose psychiatry to keep up with demand, but we also need decisive government action on workforce, infrastructure and funding.”