More depression and anxiety, but fewer suicides during lockdown | David Spiegelhalter and Anthony Masters
Mental health statistics over the pandemic have a complex pattern
People suffer stress, anxiety, isolation and despair, and it’s important to understand trends in these conditions. The Office for National Statistics’ regular Opinions and Lifestyle online survey asks four main questions about wellbeing: overall life satisfaction, happiness, life being worthwhile, and anxiety.
The picture is not encouraging. More than 18 months into the pandemic, estimated life satisfaction among British adults has yet to recover to its average score in February 2020. Sampled anxiety peaked in March 2020 and remains above pre-pandemic levels, while the share of adults reporting depressive symptoms doubled for the year after the start of lockdown, from around 10% to 20%.
Read the original article at The Guardian