Coronavirus lockdown: UK faces mental health crisis
The UK is facing a protracted mental health crisis as Covid-19 brings a “perfect storm” of problems that can trigger suicide, depression, drug use and relationship break-up, a group of leading academics warn.
They warn that the pandemic could have a “profound and pervasive impact on global mental health now and in the future”, with children, adolescents and the elderly looking particularly at risk.
The academics also raise concerns that the virus itself could cause mental health problems as similar coronaviruses such as Sars and Mers have done – with the effects potentially being felt years down the line.
The experts say its difficult to predict how people’s anxieties will manifest themselves but the evidence of past epidemics – as well as the known effect of unemployment and other factors arising from coronavirus – are highly concerning.