Young people’s mental health hit by coronavirus

YoungMinds has revealed that more than 80 per cent of young people with a history of mental ill health have found their conditions have worsened since the coronavirus crisis began in the UK.

The mental health charity surveyed 2,111 people aged under 25 who had a history of mental health needs, asking them how the pandemic has affected them. In response, of the 83 per cent who said that the pandemic had made their mental health worse, 32 per cent said it had made it ‘much worse’ and 51 per cent said it had made it ‘a bit worse’. The loss of routine and social isolation were the most commonly cited factors.

Among the respondents who were accessing mental health support leading up to the crisis, 74 per cent said they were still receiving support and 26 per cent said they were unable to access support. For the latter group, this was attributed to the closure of schools, not being able to attend peer support groups or because face-to-face services could not be done online or over the phone.

The survey was carried out between 20 March, when UK schools were closed to most students, and 25 March, when further restrictive measures had been put in place.