UK poll finds young people's mental health hit by coronavirus
I’m not surprised by this story at all and Im very pleased people are keeping an eye on it as an issue. What is additionally troubling is the impact of rurality on people’s opportunities to manage their interactions with others. Conversely groups like farm workers are already very used to social isolation as a way of life! This story tells us:
More than 80% of young people with a history of mental ill health have found their conditions have worsened since the coronavirus crisis began in the UK, a survey has found.
In a study by the mental health charity YoungMinds, 2,111 people aged under 25, who had a history of mental health needs, were asked how the pandemic had affected them.
Of the 83% who said the pandemic had made their mental health worse, 32% said it had made it “much worse” and 51% said it had made it “a bit worse”.
The survey was carried out during a period of immense change, between 20 March, when UK schools were closed to most students, and 25 March, when further restrictive measures had been put in place.
Among the respondents who were accessing mental health support leading up to the crisis – including from the NHS, school and university counsellors, charities, helplines and private providers – 74% said they were still receiving support and 26% said they were unable to access support.
Among those who could no longer access support, some said they had been affected due to the closure of schools, not being able to attend peer support groups or because face-to-face services could not be done online or over the phone. Others had been offered remote support but were concerned about privacy, access to technology or felt anxious about speaking on the phone or via video calls.
When the charity asked respondents what had impacted their mental health the most, the loss of routine and social isolation were the most commonly cited factors.