48% (!) say the pandemic negatively affected their wellbeing

[Petcha]

It's been a godsend for me I hate to say. I couldn't get work as I was suffering from a badly broken leg and couldn't get to work, then working from home happened and everyone was in the same boat as me and got a job really quickly. My mental health has definitely suffered but it was already shot anyway I spose after spending 3 months not even being able to get to the shops.

Lots of my friends, who dont have a sit down office job also quite enjoyed furlough I think.

 

[marty21]

Negative stuff was not seeing my mum & siblings, apart from that , I could wfh , managed a couple of holidays between lockdowns , me & mrs21 got on fine spending much more time together

 

[Red Cat]

Some people had it good, no doubt.

I think it's likely that most women, in particular, say that they 'just get on with it' despite the UN saying with 'the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic even the limited gains made in the past decades are at risk of being rolled back. The pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems which are in turn amplifying the impacts of the pandemic.' and 'Across every sphere, from health to the economy, security to social protection, the impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex'. So, you know well-being, what does that mean.

 

[campanula]

There were quite a few bits I really enjoyed and oddly, as a shy and reclusive type, the increased sense of caring for my friends and neighbours was a definite plus. Selfishly, I think I would look back on these couple of years with some fondness. Living in the centre of town, during a lockdown was really interesting, while skylarks appeared over my wood for the first time in 12 years because nobody was marching all over letting their dogs run amok around these ground nesting birds. Everyone taking an increased interest in their gardens was a big plus too.

 

[komodo]

yes lots of positives to the lockdown although horrible for some.
I‘m not a well-being nut but do think that it’s worth everyone thinking about resilience and how to build it - even being on here and ‘connecting‘ is helpful for that.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

This is a very personal perspective so I’m not making generalisations. I found being a working mum in non ward based healthcare during the lockdown both incredibly difficult at the time, but also in hindsight protective.

During the first lockdown we kept both kids at home as youngest was in an NHS nursery and criteria of who was sufficiently key workery was high. It was hell having no choice but to wfh but also having to parent, home school etc. I particularly found it hard spending my working day looking after the mental health of other kids whilst feeling like I was ignoring that of my own. There was less than an hour each day to myself. I would have said I was “getting on with it” but by summer 2020 I was close to collapse. That was thankfully the low point for me.

I used to hear about people who had “completed Netflix” and try not to feel resentful as I had no time to get bored. I yearned for boredom! However, I recognise that I had very important reasons to get up everyday, to (mostly) put on that brave face, an abundance of things to focus on, and company and cuddles from people I loved even if two of them wouldn’t leave me alone. A lockdown without any responsibility would probably be great for a week or two, but I’m sure the subsequent boredom, plus the uncertainty of when it would end would have been crushing.

 

[Petcha]

This is a very personal perspective so I’m not making generalisations. I found being a working mum in non ward based healthcare during the lockdown both incredibly difficult at the time, but also in hindsight protective.

During the first lockdown we kept both kids at home as youngest was in an NHS nursery and criteria of who was sufficiently key workery was high. It was hell having no choice but to wfh but also having to parent, home school etc. I particularly found it hard spending my working day looking after the mental health of other kids whilst feeling like I was ignoring that of my own. There was less than an hour each day to myself. I would have said I was “getting on with it” but by summer 2020 I was close to collapse. That was thankfully the low point for me.

I used to hear about people who had “completed Netflix” and try not to feel resentful as I had no time to get bored. I yearned for boredom! However, I recognise that I had very important reasons to get up everyday, to (mostly) put on that brave face, an abundance of things to focus on, and company and cuddles from people I loved even if two of them wouldn’t leave me alone. A lockdown without any responsibility would probably be great for a week or two, but I’m sure the subsequent boredom, plus the uncertainty of when it would end would have been crushing.

That's a really moving post. I actually met my girlfriend who works for the NHS as an oncology nurse during the first lockdown on Tinder. We had very different lockdowns. I had my feet up watching come dine with me reruns pretending to work while she was telling people over the phone they were going to die in a few months when usually she'd do that face to face. Which isn't much better, but still. She would come home broken and wouldn't really talk about it much. We're no longer together but I gather it's not much better, people still won't come into the clinic because they're either scared or they listen to the news and don't want to overload the NHS (when there's actually plenty of oncology appointments available).

She an her colleagues hated the 'clap for the NHS' thing. She did get free coffees at Pret though so she enjoyed that. Or as much as you can enjoy a Pret coffee.

 

[Aladdin]

What really affects my wellbeing is that ANYONE thinks the pandemic is actually over.

 

[Petcha]

What really affects my wellbeing is that ANYONE thinks the pandemic is actually over.

Yes. This is quite troubling. I have to go back into the office full time next week. Covid is still here people. And it's not going anywhere.

Objectively, I can actually see the dilemma our idiot of a PM has. I've no idea whether the scientists are advising against lifting all restrictions or he's just ignoring them. He always says he's 'following the science'. In his defence, numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths are falling quite fast. But I'm still not really comfortable going into the office and using public transport given I've only got one and a half lungs.

The world is watching to see if this move will work, you never know, it might be a masterstroke. I'm a born optimist though.

 

[existentialist]

Wellbeing - urgh. And because it's not research, it'll be some shit small sample questions to give them some advertising friendly copy.

Bet the skills to cope involve giving them money if you're OK, and downloading an app if you're not.

I would be in the 52%, I don't think it's impacted me negatively overall, and I know plenty of people that would say the same tbh.

Speaking purely subjectively, I think there's something else, too - and as you say, it would rely on the question being asked. There's no doubt in my mind that the pandemic has affected me adversely, in some ways. But in other ways it's given me quite a lot of insight into some of my own psychopathology that I'd not have got any other way, and that's definitely a benefit.

So the 48/52% divide might be something to do with how people perceive and react to adversity, not just how much adversity they actually experience.

ETA: pretty much every client I have seen during this period has clearly been adversely affected by it. Some report positives, but negatives also. Admittedly, this is hardly a representative group - "people wanting to access therapy" is a self-selecting subset.

And the comments regarding CAMHS (and mental health support in general) ring true for me - but CAMHS was already creaking at the seams.

I also wonder whether this survey included children, because my impression is that they have been far more profoundly affected by it all, and probably lack the coping skills that adults have, while at the same time have lost access to services like CAMHS, which in our area pretty much stopped functioning for at least the first six months of the pandemic.

As ever, it's a complex and nuanced picture, and a headline doesn't even scratch the surface of it.

 

[bimble]

I think it’s possible that it’s not a total coincidence, the 52 48 thing, have this theory that people who voted leave are optimists and remain not.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

I know I'm incredibly lucky that the pandemic and lockdown hasn't had a negative effect on me. I've been in the fortunate position of being able to really work on both my physical and mental health over these past two years.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

existentialist Young Minds did a series of surveys with young people during the first year of the pandemic. They seem to have stopped in January 21, which is a shame really. I would have been interested to have compared what things are like now.

Petcha the only free NHS deal I tried to take advantage of was a Dominos pizza deal, and they didn’t actually go ahead with it on the day! Lies!

 

[Red Cat]

Speaking purely subjectively, I think there's something else, too - and as you say, it would rely on the question being asked. There's no doubt in my mind that the pandemic has affected me adversely, in some ways. But in other ways it's given me quite a lot of insight into some of my own psychopathology that I'd not have got any other way, and that's definitely a benefit.

So the 48/52% divide might be something to do with how people perceive and react to adversity, not just how much adversity they actually experience.

ETA: pretty much every client I have seen during this period has clearly been adversely affected by it. Some report positives, but negatives also. Admittedly, this is hardly a representative group - "people wanting to access therapy" is a self-selecting subset.

And the comments regarding CAMHS (and mental health support in general) ring true for me - but CAMHS was already creaking at the seams.

I also wonder whether this survey included children, because my impression is that they have been far more profoundly affected by it all, and probably lack the coping skills that adults have, while at the same time have lost access to services like CAMHS, which in our area pretty much stopped functioning for at least the first six months of the pandemic.

As ever, it's a complex and nuanced picture, and a headline doesn't even scratch the surface of it.

CAMHS was under immense pressure, but a waiting list that has grown by 12 months is a service that's gone from just about managing with an already too-long wait of 6 months to one that's barely functioning. CAMHS did not stop functioning where I work though there were fewer referrals, it was remote and phone work for all but those in crisis, then when schools went back in Sept 2020 referrals went through the roof.

It's not about coping skills per se, it's that young people were denied what they needed for their development, being with other young people, navigating the increasing demands of school and their relationships with adults, structure and predictability as well as the pleasure in play, exploring identity, having a laugh. Some of those young people had parents who died or who were CV and worked throughout the lockdowns. For some its been temporary and they've got back on track more or less, for others more vulnerable, it's been catastrophic, so young people with underlying difficulties that affect their learning, difficulties that would have been picked up by school by the end of year 7 or beginning of year 8, are now in crisis in year 9, or even later in years 10 and 11.

 

[existentialist]

CAMHS was under immense pressure, but a waiting list that has grown by 12 months is a service that's gone from just about managing with an already too-long wait of 6 months to one that's barely functioning. CAMHS did not stop functioning where I work though there were fewer referrals, it was remote and phone work for all but those in crisis, then when schools went back in Sept 2020 referrals went through the roof.

It's not about coping skills per se, it's that young people were denied what they needed for their development, being with other young people, navigating the increasing demands of school and their relationships with adults, structure and predictability as well as the pleasure in play, exploring identity, having a laugh. Some of those young people had parents who died or who were CV and worked throughout the lockdowns. For some its been temporary and they've got back on track more or less, for others more vulnerable, it's been catastrophic, so young people with underlying difficulties that affect their learning, difficulties that would have been picked up by school by the end of year 7 or beginning of year 8, are now in crisis in year 9, or even later in years 10 and 11.

Absolutely agree 100%. CAMHS has been creaking at the seams for years, and I imagine it's going to continue to get worse in the absence of MEANINGFUL additional resourcing, and with the backlog of cases you describe. And, of course, a lot of those backlogged cases are now going to be harder to treat, and need more intensive treatment, which will be a further additional strain on the service.

It's cynical and criminal - I can only assume it's because it's too easy to write off kids suffering from mental health problems as just "bad 'uns".

And, to be clear, I do not lay this at the door of those working their hearts out IN CAMHS - it's all about the apparent unwillingness to prioritise mental health, and that of young people in particular, at a state/government level.

 

[Red Cat]

Ultimately we need to understand why there are so many young people in distress such that they or their parents think they need mental health services. These problems are systemic and in my view have a lot to do with the pressures of education, amongst others.

 

[Orang Utan]

wtf is what i thought when i saw this.

View attachment 309633


Why is it such a low number? Is it that half the population actually liked it for various reasons (WFH and other things like that) or is it that people don't admit feeling crap ?
Either way kind of an astounding number i thought.

A lot of people have thrived though, haven’t they? A lot of NNT folk have taken advantage of restrictions and perhaps even have better mental health?
I sometimes think I’ve done well compared to others but I don’t alway think that on shitty days at work when everyone is coughing and spluttering unmasked

 

[nagapie]

A lot of people have thrived though, haven’t they? A lot of NNT folk have taken advantage of restrictions and perhaps even have better mental health?
I sometimes think I’ve done well compared to others but I don’t alway think that on shitty days at work when everyone is coughing and spluttering unmasked

A lot of NNT folk have done very badly too. We have some kids with very bad mental health as a result in our school and some we've totally lost.

 

[Orang Utan]

A lot of NNT folk have done very badly too. We have some kids with very mad mental health as a result in our school and some we've totally lost.

Aye, of course. I was trying to account for the admittedly low percentage of people saying they’d suffered.
Maybe it’s just down to traditional reticence to admit that ones mental health is under strain, esp when asked about it during a pandemic. People feel bad about complaining when others have died or lost loved ones or been separated from them for two years. If you’ve got depression from ‘just’ dealing with work being completely different and seeing your friends less often, you’d probably feel less likely to admit you’ve also been struggling

 

[nagapie]

Aye, of course. I was trying to account for the admittedly low percentage of people saying they’d suffered.
Maybe it’s just down to traditional reticence to admit that ones mental health is under strain, esp when asked about it during a pandemic. People feel bad about complaining when others have died or lost loved ones or been separated from them for two years. If you’ve got depression from ‘just’ dealing with work being completely different and seeing your friends less often, you’d probably feel less likely to admit you’ve also been struggling

I think this is very true. I certainly compare and think I've been fine. But now I have a bit more clarity about the extra isolation it's brought and the subtle effects on even my relatively unscathed children and it was probably worse than I think.

 

[Orang Utan]

I think this is very true. I certainly compare and think I've been fine. But now I have a bit more clarity about the extra isolation it's brought and the subtle effects on even my relatively unscathed children and it was probably worse than I think.

I’ve seen how it’s affect my nieces and nephew, and it’s been a mixed bag really. It’s certainly made my nephew an even better student as he’s become such an independent learner. But the lack of socialising has really got to all of them, esp my oldest niece.

 

[nagapie]

I’ve seen how it’s affect my nieces and nephew, and it’s been a mixed bag really. It’s certainly made my nephew an even better student as he’s become such an independent learner. But the lack of socialising has really got to all of them, esp my oldest niece.

I think my youngest needed the formal classroom that he missed out on more than others and it's affected his learning. He was at school but part time and more play based. He also missed out on services like physio.
My eldest seems ok but I think he has become more insular than he would have been. He also doesn't seem to understand the need for 100% attendance .

 

[marty21]

I’ve seen how it’s affect my nieces and nephew, and it’s been a mixed bag really. It’s certainly made my nephew an even better student as he’s become such an independent learner. But the lack of socialising has really got to all of them, esp my oldest niece.

I feel for my niece , her whole Uni experience has been ruined by the pandemic, she graduates this year .

 

[Agent Sparrow]

A lot of people have thrived though, haven’t they? A lot of NNT folk have taken advantage of restrictions and perhaps even have better mental health?
I sometimes think I’ve done well compared to others but I don’t alway think that on shitty days at work when everyone is coughing and spluttering unmasked

A minority of kids (all likely or confirmed NND) I worked with absolutely thrived due lockdown. I think it was very much a case for the social model of disability. Basically their lives got better as a result of a) certain expectations being removed/reduced, and b) the perception that they were finally not missing out on things their peers were doing, as they were all in the same boat.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Our biggest silver lining was that it helped us spot the youngest's lactose intolerance before she started school from being more able to observe what food she took in and what, um, came out afterwards.

I dunno, does anyone else feel they've forgotten the worst bits now? I think my not great memory is quite protective in some ways! I get Facebook memory updates of dispair (admittedly using under a veneer of humour) and I feel quite distanced from them now, like it's an archeological record.

 

[Orang Utan]

I feel for my niece , her whole Uni experience has been ruined by the pandemic, she graduates this year .

Aye that particular demographic has lost out the most I reckon.

 

[Red Cat]

A minority of kids (all likely or confirmed NND) I worked with absolutely thrived due lockdown. I think it was very much a case for the social model of disability. Basically their lives got better as a result of a) certain expectations being removed/reduced, and b) the perception that they were finally not missing out on things their peers were doing, as they were all in the same boat.

Those children have really struggled going back to school though. So many duty calls are for children who can't get into school.

 

[Orang Utan]

A minority of kids (all likely or confirmed NND) I worked with absolutely thrived due lockdown. I think it was very much a case for the social model of disability. Basically their lives got better as a result of a) certain expectations being removed/reduced, and b) the perception that they were finally not missing out on things their peers were doing, as they were all in the same boat.

I’ve just been reading about the social model of disability over the disability as illness model. I’ve only just started it but it’s the best book on ADHD I’ve read so far btw - Gabor Maté’s Scattered Minds. Thoroughly recommended
ETA: oops forgot what thread I was on

 

[nagapie]

Aye that particular demographic has lost out the most I reckon.

Yes. 15-25, a time when you forge your independence in a really fun way.

 

[Orang Utan]

Yes. 15-25, a time when you forge your independence in a really fun way.

Especially if you’re a first year in halls. It must have been horrendous being cooped up like that and have nowhere to escape and socialise/party/drink/take drugs/shag. I’m sure many of them managed to do all this all the same though!