If you’ve seen that stat currently making its way around Twitter, the one that says suicides are up 200% in lockdown, it’s important to know that there’s no evidence to suggest that’s the case.
It can be incredibly unhelpful (and triggering) to make claims about largescale suicides, and it’s important to debunk these trends – although we’re all for the promotion of services such as Samaritans.
While there’s no evidence to suggest a dramatic rise in suicides in lockdown, what we do know is that mental health issues continue to run rampant amid the coronavirus pandemic.
And a new report suggests that many Brits are bottling up their emotions as a result of being cooped up at home.
Research that involved surveying 2,000 UK adults in May 2020 found that eight out of ten of us are experiencing symptoms of poor mental health in lockdown – but half haven’t told anyone.
The report from Bupa suggests that the act of bottling up emotions and keeping issues secret is on the rise, finding that cases of suffering in silence have doubled since a similar survey was conducted in 2019.
While 82% of those surveyed in 2020 said they had experienced symptoms that may indicate poor mental health, such as continuous low mood, anxiousness, low self-esteem or hopelessness while in lockdown, yet almost half (44%) hadn’t told anyone – a sharp rise from Bupa’s report in 2019, which found that only 22% felt they had to keep their feelings to themselves.
So, why are people struggling in silence?
Many of those surveyed (one in five) said they plan to delay seeking help for mental health issues until things are ‘back to normal’, with 43% saying they feel pressure to ‘grin and bear it’ and 23% saying they feel now isn’t the time to make a fuss about their mental state when the country is in crisis.
Older people are more likely to delay seeking help than younger people, and women delay seeking help by 15 days longer than men.
The team at Bupa are urging people to come forward about the concerns and warning against putting off treatment because of the pandemic.
Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director for Mental Health at Bupa UK Insurance said: ‘There’s no getting away from the fact that this has been a really tough period for our mental health.
‘High levels of anxiety and depression have been reported while the country has been in lockdown, and as we remain in a period of uncertainty and change, mental health professionals expect these issues to continue.
‘But it’s extremely concerning to see that so many people don’t feel that they can come forward to discuss their symptoms – either with friends or family or with a health professional. We can’t simply wait and hope these issues will pass.
‘Early diagnosis is so important for improving outcomes, and with the number of services and resources available people shouldn’t suffer in silence or think that nothing can be done.
‘If you or a loved one are struggling with your mental health, it’s important to seek medical help at the right time. People should not be waiting nearly three months to come forward.
‘It can be hard to distinguish between what’s ‘normal’ for you and what may be a symptom of a more significant mental health issue, and I often recommend that people try to think about whether their symptoms have been affecting them for two weeks or more, and if so, to seek help.’
If you are struggling with your mental health, don’t feel you have to put off getting help.
Chat to your GP, talk to a friend, seek out therapy (which is absolutely still an option in lockdown), or call the Samaritans. You don’t need to suffer in silence.
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