Should we class the pandemic as a mental health crisis?
COVID-19 and online classes: a recipe for disaster
As we take more and more steps towards the resumption of normality, it seems everyone is in higher spirits — and with good reason.
Albert Road’s pubs and restaurants are back open for indoor seating, cinemas and non-essential shops are open, and we can finally see our friends and families without the burden of the dreaded Zoom call.
However, all these things have one thing in common — socialising is an integral component of all of them. Without the company of other people these activities would be nowhere near as popular or enjoyable. With the several lockdowns our country has withstood these this has obviously not been possible; and with that comes a mental health catastrophe — especially for young people.
As the data above shows, a large proportion of the UK’s population has been negatively affected by the several lockdowns.
The level of people who experienced anxiety throughout the pandemic never dips below 42%, with people with pre-existing mental health concerns and long-term health conditions maintaining a higher percentage.
Interestingly, the highest volume of people that experienced anxiety were university students. The two points of entry on the graph, showing a rate of 74% and 66% of students that experienced anxiety over the course of the lockdowns, were taken around the times of when both lockdowns were put into place.
Jonathan Town, a 20 year old student at University of Portsmouth, vouches for this.
“Lockdown was really hard for me,” he said. “It went from going out all the time, doing what I love and seeing my mates to suddenly having to stay inside my house all the time. I think the sudden shift of my everyday life essentially ending was so weird, and I think that’s what put my mental health down so much. It became sort of pointless to even get out of bed; because there was nothing to do, nowhere to go — not even uni”.
Jonathon also cites the pressure of having to attend university online whilst stuck inside as a major factor — as it affected his motivation to do anything and that, in turn, affected his mental health.
“That turned into a vicious cycle of getting stressed about not doing any work, and then being too stressed to do the work,” he said.
“That, and being stuck inside for months on end, was an awful mixture and I never want to have to relive it.”
As both Jonathon and the graph above will say, anxiety seems to lessen when restrictions are eased. However with waiting times for mental health services reaching 18 weeks, it seems people are mostly left to their own devices. So what does the future hold for a Covid-free environment, mentally?
He added: “After months of not seeing anyone or doing things I’d normally do I think it’s going to be really weird trying to pick up life essentially where we left off. I’m half scared and half excited. It’s a weird blend.”
