The provisional rate of suicides for 2020 is lower than that of 2019 – but this may be due to delays to coroner inquests caused by Covid and lockdowns, meaning the real figure could be much higher, according to the ONS.
The loss of in-person treatments has made mental health patients feel they "were missing out on care" over the past year of lockdowns, according to new research. For some patients, video calls made matters worse.
A parliamentary committee has said that one of the causes of "a pandemic of mental health problems" among children was the closure of playgrounds in the first lockdown.
England is "in the grip of a mental health crisis" because of lockdowns, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists – and under-18s are "bearing the brunt".
Psychiatrists at Cambridge University have drawn attention to the impact of lockdown on young people. They demand urgent action "to ensure that this generation is not disproportionately disadvantaged by Covid".
A GP from Suffolk has written on the impact of the Government's lockdowns on women's mental health. The fear of catching Covid has prevented many women from seeking medical help for potentially serious issues.
