Mental health and wellbeing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
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Healthwatch Cheshire East and Healthwatch Cheshire West and Chester have been undertaking research on local residents’ views and experiences during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Their main survey report can be found here. This report looks at the impact of the pandemic on people’s wellbeing and mental health. It is based upon the 1,121 responses.
Most people felt that they were coping well. However, respondents also talked about the stress and anxiety they felt, confusion over national guidance and missing family and friends. Although most respondents felt their mental health had remained unchanged over the course of a week, of those who did notice a change, numbers fluctuated throughout lockdown.
The number of respondents who reported declining mental health decreased over time, which could in part be due to the easing of lockdown measures. Nearly two thirds of respondents felt sad about not being able to see family and friends. • Of those who said they did not need to seek support for their mental health, nearly a third looked to their family and friends. Only 2% overall sought support from a mental health provider. 7.2% of people who sought support for their mental health found this online or via an app.
In terms of what would help people maintain better physical and mental health, there was frequent mention of clearer information being provided, particularly about national government messages. Respondents also talked about the importance of family and friends, support from the community and the workplace, exercise and better access to services.
The research also looked at what had had a positive impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing during lockdown. Around half of all respondents talked about family and friends, and the positive impact of exercise. People also talked about their hobbies and using IT to support their interests and stay connected with others.
Over half of respondents across both areas stated that they had concerns for the future regarding people observing social distancing rules. Aside from this, the top 4 future concerns related to mental and physical health, money and the economy and education.