COVID-19 & its Mental Health Implications

Moving out of the pandemic, the acknowledgement of its mental health implications is crucial

Conal Cunningham





As we begin to take our excited, albeit tentative, steps out of the coronavirus pandemic and the strict social restrictions we have collectively faced, it is worth reflecting on how the past year has been an unparalleled crisis of multitudes. In addition to the devastating casualties the virus has caused as it ripped through our society - leaving the UK’s death toll as the highest in Europe - there has also been a significant impact on people’s mental health due to the unprecedented periods of social isolation.


Indeed, since the start of the pandemic, the proportion of individuals showing symptoms of depression has almost doubled, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Similarly, in a survey of 16,000 participants, mental health charity Mind found that 60% of adults (25+) and 68% of young people (13-24) reported a decline in their mental health in the first weeks of last year’s lockdown. Paying particular attention to people with prior experience of mental health issues, the charity found this group were more likely to see their mental health deteriorate as a result of coronavirus restrictions. 

Isolation, boredom, and loneliness were recognised as big drivers of poor mental health last year with restrictions on social contact, yet another element that is undoubtedly correlated is unemployment. The government’s furlough scheme has been desperately necessary to protect the country from a depression, yet there are still over 300,000 more people out of work compared to a year ago, according to the ONS. Unable to work from home, the hospitality, retail, and entertainment industries have particularly suffered in the past year, including huge numbers of younger people that populate these sectors. To make matters worse, the Office for Budget Responsibility project that the UK unemployment rate will rise to 6.5% by the end of the year as the furlough scheme comes to an end, meaning around 2.2 million people could be out of work. 

This is significant as there is a long-understood association between unemployment and poor mental health. Looking into this link, The Health Foundation state that unemployment not only causes stress but can have ‘long-term physiological health effects and negative consequences for people’s mental health, including depression, anxiety, and lower self-esteem’. Similarly, the OECD described that job loss can have both a ‘traumatic and immediate negative impact on mental health’, noting that there is further damage the longer unemployment continues.

Evidently, maintaining high employment levels as the furlough scheme starts to unwind later this year is crucial for both our collective and personal recovery from the pandemic. This may mean a more gradual phasing out of the scheme rather than a sudden end, as well as targeted investment in struggling industries to create or retain jobs there. Investment in more apprenticeships and nationwide graduate schemes is similarly a positive way out of the current job insecurity for younger people that may also go some way in preventing further mental health issues. 

Of course, mental health services themselves also need to be appropriately funded. Moving forward, this is something which must be a necessity as demand for services increases amid already high waiting times – one in four people with mental health problems had to wait at least three months to start NHS treatment last year, with some not getting help for years, SavantaComRes reported. Mental health problems may be easier to speak openly about than they were ten years ago, but their solutions are much more delicate. Yes, it is always important to check up on a friend, but the well-meaning, yet essentially vapid statements offered on social media such as ‘Be Kind’ is not serious progress and should be the bare minimum of any functioning human being. Instead, there needs to be pressure on increased funding and progressive policies around mental health services, so that anybody experiencing problems can speak to a professional as soon as possible, with appropriate treatments and therapies offered to the needs of the patient.

As we continue to move out of the pandemic, there is much to look forward to, and fortunately, clear signs for optimism. For all the government’s faults, the vaccine programme has so far been an unquestionable success, with the UK now one of the highest vaccinated populations per capita around the world. In tandem with lower covid infection rates, this means there is an increasing possibility that normal life may soon be upon us. Liverpool’s recent live music event trials have also indicated that there is some light at the end of this long, dark, and arduous tunnel, with negative covid tests on entry a stopgap solution on our road to normality.

Yet, along with the return of the things that we love and an appreciation for the things that we took for granted, there must be a serious acknowledgement of the mental health implications this past year has brought. Improving the accessibility of mental health services must be a priority moving forward, particularly for those who have experienced prior issues. Likewise, retaining employment levels is essential to ensure our recovery from the pandemic is not prolonged any further than it needs to be. This means increasing security, funding, and assistance for precarious jobs in the gig economy, people on zero-hours contracts and those industries still struggling from the effects of lockdowns. If this can be achieved, it may ring true that in our recovery, we are all in this together, as was so often communicated in the hazy first weeks of the pandemic.


Conal Cunningham

@ConalCunningha