‘Worst is yet to come in mental health crisis’ – warning

THE “worst is yet to come” of the mental health emergency sparked by the coronavirus pandemic and the future economic fall-out, a charity is warning.

Many people who were previously well will develop mental health problems as a “direct consequence of the pandemic and all that follows”, according to Mind.

Two out of three (65%) adults aged 25 and over and threequarters of young people aged 13-24 with an existing mental health problem reported worse mental health during the lockdown, its survey found.

Of adults with no previous experience of poor mental health, more than a fifth (22%) now say that their mental health is poor or very poor.

The charity surveyed 14,421 adults aged 25 and over and 1,917 people aged 13-24 between April 9 and June 1.

Those who were furloughed, changed jobs or lost their job due to coronavirus saw their mental health and wellbeing decline more than those whose employment status did not change, it found.

Over half (56%) of adults and 71% of young people reported over- or under-eating to cope, while overall roughly a third said they were using alcohol or illegal drugs.

And a third of young people with existing mental health problems said they were self-harming.

Of those who tried to access NHS mental health services, one in four (25%) were unable to get support, the survey found. A further third (32%) of adults and more than a quarter (28%) of young people did not try to access support because they did not think that their problem was serious enough.

Mind predicts that prolonged worsening of wellbeing and “continued inadequate access” to NHS mental health services will lead to a marked increase in people experiencing longer-term mental health problems.

It believes the “worst is yet to come”, as the impact of unemployment and financial difficulties is due to grow, while the easing of lockdown will not address many of the underlying issues of poor mental health.

Paul Farmer, Mind chief executive, said: “The coronavirus pandemic is as much a mental health emergency as it is a physical one. The devastating loss of life, the impact of lockdown, and the inevitable recession that lies ahead will leave a deep and lasting scar on our nation’s mental health.”