Over a third of people in Bucks, Beds & Herts feeling 'lockdown loneliness'
Younger people have felt the effects more
More a third of people in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire, who say the coronavirus pandemic has affected their well-being put it down to “lockdown loneliness”.
Mental health charities have called for people's mental health and wellbeing to be made a priority in the recovery from Covid-19.
An Office for National Statistics survey conducted between October 14 and February 22 asked people aged 16 and over if their well-being had been affected in the last seven days by the pandemic.
Of those in Buckinghamshire who said it had, 43.2% attributed this to being lonely – across Britain, the average was 38.6%.
In Bedfordshire that was around 40% and in Hertfordshire, 35%.
The ONS said young people were more likely to suffer from this form of “lockdown loneliness”.
Tom Madders, director of campaigns at mental health charity YoungMinds, said young people have experienced loneliness and isolation as Covid-19 has limited their social lives, education, or led to job losses.
He said:
“It’s important that young people know where to go to get support for their mental health if they are struggling and that they can access help as soon as they need it.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, we’d like the Government to introduce a national network of early intervention hubs, with one in every community, where young people can find mental health support alongside advice on education and employment.”
The survey also found that 11.8% of adults in Buckinghamshire said they felt lonely “often” or “always”, although the ONS cautioned that this was based on a small sample of the local population.
The average across Britain was 7.2%, up from around 5% when a similar survey was carried out between April and May last year.
Areas with younger populations and those with higher unemployment rates tended to see increased levels of loneliness, the latest research found.
The feeling was also more pronounced in urban areas than rural locations.
But places with strong local businesses and adult education fared better on average.
Razzak Mirjan from Beder Mental Health said:
"It can affect so many, it can affect single parents, older people.
"Something we are trying to communicate is that you are never alone, you aren't alone in what you are going through."
Beder have been running online classes and events to try and help with loneliness.
You can find their online toolkit here.
Lucy Schonegevel, associate director for policy and practice at the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said:
“The widespread disruption of the pandemic has highlighted that loneliness can be driven not solely by the absence of friends and family, but also the lack of face-to-face connection in the workplace and in the communities around us."
Developing community schemes and support groups could help people recover from the pandemic, she added.
Ms Schonegevel also called for more social prescribing, whereby health professionals can recommend activities such as gardening or sports to improve people’s wellbeing, as a possible alternative to more traditional treatments.
She said:
“These initiatives can provide a lifeline to people experiencing loneliness, particularly for those living with mental illness who may be more prone to feeling isolated.”
A lockdown eases as well, those who have been isolated may feel anxious about being surrounded by people once more.
Razzak added:
"It is really important that we all do whatever it is, as we come out of lockdown, at our own pace.
"If you are trying to do it for other people, that can be why you feel uncomfortable and that can increases these feelings of stress and worry."