The Covid-19 pandemic and mental health in Liverpool
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Healthwatch Liverpool decided to ask people about how the changes to their lives were affecting their mental health during lockdown. They developed an online survey based on feedback from local people of all ages, and ran it from June 2021 to January 2022. In total they received input from 343 individuals, via the survey and a range of interviews and workshops.
As might be expected, the overwhelming response of the people who shared their experiences with us was that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on their mental health. The impact has mostly been negative.
Some of those who have had to work from home have found it particularly difficult to juggle work responsibilities with caring for others and, in many cases, providing home schooling for long periods. People who worked as key workers across a range of occupations, including health and care workers, were often under extreme stress and feared for their mental and physical health.
People’s ability to access support services during the height of the pandemic was mixed. Some people knew, or had a clear idea of, how to contact the support services they needed. Others did not or were unsure of which sources of information to trust. This was particularly true for people without access to the internet. Some people said that services they had previously relied on were no longer available, or could not be reached. Others felt that telephone or video access to services had been helpful, although not as useful as in-person contact. However, others preferred telephone or video appointments and hoped that these could continue long-term.
When people were able to access support services, their experiences of the quality of the support they received was also mixed. Whilst some people praised the dedication and professionalism of staff and volunteers, others felt they had been fobbed off, not listened to, or seen as a burden. Waiting lists had increased and some people, including some with disabilities, said they felt less valued by support services than others.