Mental Health Crisis Looms Unless UK Address Pandemic Effects As Winter Nears

The coronavirus is still lingering in the air and most know the effects it has on the mental well-being of any individual. People who find themselves locked down at their homes are feeling the mental stress of the pandemic, something that could get worse as the Winter season sets in.

According to health experts, the mental well-being of people in the United Kingdom may devastate people who continue to be holed up at home. The reason seen behind that is most are dealing with uncertainty and fear moving forward. With the colder and darker months set to come in, people who are isolated are more likely to feel the pinch of loneliness that could further affect their mental well-being.

Hence, the UK may find itself headed in an unfortunate direction unless it finds a way to address the looming mental health crisis. According to the Centre for Mental Health, roughly 10 million people will need mental health support resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those predicted numbers, 1.5 million of them are children – some younger than 18.

“The sheer numbers of people developing problems – and some may not be fully-fledged or reach the threshold for diagnosis – will escalate,” Professor Roshan das Nair, a clinical psychologist from the Institute of Mental Health, said. “What this means for the healthcare service, when at the best of times we have long waiting lists, is a real concern. How are we going to cope with the increased demand in the next few months?”

From there, cases get worse. It is also a known fact that not all families are well-off and such can add further mental stress to kids and their elders. Hence, the mental problems raised here are likely to radiate and such calls to mind the importance of addressing the psychological needs of individuals.

As far as Britain is concerned, the need to address this problem is essential. But as health minister Rosena Allin-Khan reveals, such yet to be done with the government “falling asleep at the wheel.”

“My freedom of information request revealed that the secretary of state did not meet with a single mental-health organization within the first three months [of the pandemic]. There is no single group that’s unaffected – mental ill health affects people regardless of class, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic background,” Allin-Khan said.

Hence, the only thing that people in the UK and also the world can do right now is do due diligence. This includes checking on family and friends and making sure to keep the lines open to make sure that they keep and maintain a positive mental attitude amid this pandemic.