Younger people and those with pre-existing health conditions most hit by mental health impact of lockdown, research finds

Younger adults and people with pre-existing health conditions are more likely to suffer anxiety, depression, PTSD and higher levels of worry as a result of Covid restrictions, research has found.

Psychologists at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) studied data from 726 people living in Scotland during lockdown to find out the impact that Coronavirus measures were having on mental health.

Of the population surveyed, 31 per cent suffered from anxiety, 34 per cent had depression, and 20 per cent showed signs of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

The study also revealed that 30 per cent of respondents were “quite a bit” or “extremely concerned” about becoming infected by the coronavirus.

Half the sample population were just as worried about infecting others, the financial impact and the UK government’s ability to manage the Covid-19 situation.

Almost 70 per cent said they were either “quite a bit” or “extremely” concerned about the ability of the health service to care for patients if the situation was to worsen.

However, lead researchers Dr Kerri McPherson, GCU Head of Psychology, and Senior Lecturer in Applied Health Psychology Dr Kareena McAloney, found that younger people and those with pre-existing conditions have suffered most during lockdown.

They explained: “We looked at a whole host of factors that might influence these outcomes –  and the things that consistently appear are that younger people and those with pre-existing health conditions are more likely to suffer anxiety, depression and PTSD  and  higher levels of worries as a result of lockdown measures.

“Younger individuals in particular often had higher concerns, as did those with pre-existing health conditions. Media consumption and income were also significantly associated with higher levels of some Covid-19 concerns.

“We found high levels of self-reported mental illness in the population and this means we need to think about how we support individuals and the resources we have in place to deal with the mental health consequences of the pandemic.”

Dr McPherson and Dr McAloney were supported by GCU lecturer Dr Birgit Schroeter and researcher Pia Faeth.

The 72-page online Covid-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study of adults over 18 was completed after three-months of analysing data collected during the first month of lockdown.

The average age was 38, about 75 per cent were female, 58 per cent were married or living with a partner and 63 per cent were employed or educated to university level.

The study made the five key recommendations to help people deal with how they react mentally to the pandemic, which will be submitted to the Scottish Government.

These include paying attention to younger people and those with pre-existing health conditions when creating, amending, implementing and communicating future Covid-19-related policy, as well as having clear media guidelines for the dissemination of coronavirus information.

Also recommended is a public health campaign about reputable media information on coronavirus, and government paying attention to the concerns raised over the consequences and handling of the pandemic.

The study also recommends as a priority at policy level efficiently and effectively planning for how a potential increase in the need for mental health support will be managed.