Covid’s invisible toll

45pc of Scots workers say their mental health is worse from lockdown

ALMOST half of workers say their mental health has deteriorated since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

A survey of 1,000 workers from across Scotland indicates the toll that lockdown restrictions has taken on people’s wellbeing.

It found that 45 per cent of people say their mental health has been negatively impacted since the beginning of the pandemic, while a further 31 per cent said it has ‘fluctuated’.

Only 19 per cent said it has remained the same or not been affected, while 3 per cent said it has improved and the rest were unsure. The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), which carried out the survey, described the findings as ‘alarming’.

It also claimed there is a ‘lack of trust’ from many employees about how their bosses will respond to concerns about mental health.

Scots have been urged to work from home if they can ever since lockdown was first imposed in March, with all non- essential offices and call centres still closed indefinitely. It is estimated that nearly one in four workers are still working remotely rather than from their normal workplaces.

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: ‘Whilst many workers say that their mental health has worsened since the onset of the crisis, others say it has improved.

‘For these respondents, escaping workplace stress is seen as a positive factor despite the difficulties with homeworking. This should be a warning that a healthy working environment takes work to create and maintain.

‘Despite the fact poor mental health has become more openly discussed as a public issue, it appears that many workplaces have a long way to go in enabling people to be confident in disclosing mental health conditions or for supporting those who do.’

Official figures show that in the month to November 1, 23.7 per cent of Scotland’s workforce was working remotely instead of their normal place of work.

This compares to 28.2 per cent at the height of lockdown in June.

The STUC said i ts research showed those whose mental health has improved have expressed this has been due to feeling more in control and being away from work. It found that 43 per cent of people said they have been offered no form of risk assessment for working at home and 47 per cent said they do not f eel comfortable disclosing mental health issues to their employer.

The survey also found that two in three respondents who said they have disclosed mental health issues felt they had been offered no ‘reasonable adjustment’.

The Scottish Government last month published a new strategy on Scotland’s ‘ transition and recovery’ on mental health.

It said: ‘We recognise changing circumstances, including the rapid change to home working, many having to juggle work and unpaid care, and uncertainty in the labour market, could create demand for mental health support.’