Shielding more likely to harm mental health of women than men

SHIELDING disproportionately affects the mental health of women compared with men, government data reveals.

Some 2.2million clinically extremely vulnerable people have been forced to “shield” themselves from the impact of coronavirus across England and Wales.

It has already been reported that men are more likely to suffer adverse physical effects of Covid-19.

However, the Office for National Statistics found that across all age groups, shielding women were more likely to suffer a worsening in their mental health than extremely vulnerable men.

The age group most likely to report worsening mental health was 50 to 59 years old, irrespective of gender, with 45 per cent of men and 52 per cent of women saying they suffered adversely. Tim Gibbs, of the ONS, said: “We see a continued trend in clinically extremely vulnerable people following government guidelines, as the proportion of people who report completely following the shielding guidance remains just over 60 per cent.

“Overall the data paints a reassuring picture, showing us that despite the extra guidance in place for the clinically extremely vulnerable, over half (60 per cent) report no change in their mental health since being advised to shield.

“However, we recognise that the pandemic and shielding has had an impact on the mental health of some of the shielding population.”

The figures come as mental health experts called for tens of thousands of Covid-19 survivors to be screened for post-traumatic stress disorder because of their experiences.

Psychiatrists and psychologists want all those who were admitted to hospital with the disease to be assessed regularly, citing research that showed 30 per cent of patients who were seriously ill in infectious disease outbreaks in the past developed PTSD.