Lockdown leads to spike in young people using mental health services

by Francesca Phillips

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen more than 40,000 more teenagers and young adults signing up to NHS mental health services since the beginning of national lockdown.

With 240,871 young people using NHS services in January, the national lockdown led to a sudden surge in referrals in April to 281,999.

As of September there have been 286,413 referrals to counselling in the UK due to personal challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Michael Duggan, who works as a mental health nurse, said young adults have been more likely to reach out to NHS services for help while struggling with their mental health over lockdown, and this surge has “put immense pressure on the NHS”. This includes help from online services such as Off The Record or from a helpline or text service.

According to NHS statistics, 43.1% of 17–22 year olds have stated that lockdown has made their lives worse.

Mr Duggan suspects that this is due to a number of factors disrupting the livelihoods and routines of young adults, such as social isolation, lack of routine and anxieties surrounding school.

Michael, who manages a ward within an inner London mental health trust, provided insight into working within a psychiatric ward, noting that “adults as young as 18 are increasingly getting admitted into wards”.

NHS data records have found that rates of admission under the Mental Health Act are declining with age, with detention of adults aged between 18–30 being 40% higher than those aged 50–64.

“During lockdown, the demand for beds and the number of patients needing admission skyrocketed,” Michael said. “There were no free psychiatric beds across the NHS or private sector in the country.”

Mental healthcare workers are going to remarkable lengths to provide help to young people, despite challenges posed by the pandemic limiting face-to-face support.

Although these limitations to services have restricted those seeking help, Michael assures that “the NHS has offered a range of online support to young adults through remote counselling sessions.”

In a YoungMinds survey, young people described the challenges of remote support.

In some cases, teenagers felt that counselling sessions online or over the phone were less effective than face-to-face support due to a lack of privacy at home or anxiety around answering phone calls, and therefore did not feel as confident about opening up.

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a detrimental impact on the livelihoods of people in the UK, but has also had a profound effect on young people struggling with psychological disorders.

Despite challenges that mental health services are facing due to limited resources, there has been an increase in young people using these services due to anxieties surrounding the pandemic, with many struggling to cope whilst in lockdown.

Michael expresses the importance of reaching out during this time, adding: “It’s invaluable for young people to talk through their worries and adjust to the sudden changes caused by the pandemic.”