Snapshots capture Covid impact on physical and mental health
AN ANNUAL report from a Yorkshire director of public health has laid out how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the borough’s mental and physical health, by capturing “snapshots” of resident’s days.
Looking back on a tumultuous year, Julia Burrows explains the ways in which the pandemic has impacted the health of Barnsley’s population.
More than 300 residents filled in a diary on November 3 2020, to provide a “snapshot” of how life had changed, eight months on from the first lockdown.
Some residents wrote about how their alcohol consumption has increased during the pandemic, reflecting a national trend.
Some reported their drinking had spiralled “out of control”, and others said they were drinking more during the week.
The report also notes that the
impact of gym closures was “significant”, adding: “There’s a risk of becoming less active as we spend more time at home. It’s important to stay active, sit less and move more for your physical and mental health and wellbeing.”
Children and young people reported a negative impact of the pandemic on their mental health – 71 percent felt bored or frustrated, and 51 per cent reported feeling “sad, negative or low”. And adults didn’t escape the effects of the pandemic on their mental health either – one respondent said they felt “pure exhaustion from worry,” and another wrote that they felt “very low and isolated”, and that they felt “judged” for leaving the house.
However, despite the anxiety that Covid caused, the report also reveals that Barnsley residents found positives during lockdowns – locals say they found more time to enjoy the outdoors, cook, read, and even “re-evaulate their life”.
Community spirit and volunteers were also praised, especially the 1,251 people who volunteered to help vulnerable people in their area through the council’s community responder scheme. Ms Burrows wrote: “The response has been fantastic, and it’s one example of how residents’ Barnsley spirit has been shining bright in light of the very difficult challenges the borough has faced.”