Two in five people in Barnet who say the coronavirus pandemic has affected their well-being put it down to “lockdown loneliness”, new figures suggest.
By Tommy Lumby, Data Reporter

Two in five people in Barnet who say the coronavirus pandemic has affected their well-being put it down to “lockdown loneliness”, new figures suggest.

Mental health charities have called for people’s mental health and wellbeing to be made a priority in the recovery from Covid-19. An Office for National Statistics survey conducted between October 14th and February 22nd asked people aged 16 and over if their well-being had been affected in the last seven days by the pandemic. Of those in Barnet who said it had, 40.2% attributed this to being lonely – across Britain, the average was 38.6%.

The ONS said young people were more likely to suffer from this form of “lockdown loneliness”.

Tom Madders, director of campaigns at mental health charity YoungMinds, said young people have experienced loneliness and isolation as Covid-19 has limited their social lives, education, or led to job losses.

“It’s important that young people know where to go to get support for their mental health if they are struggling and that they can access help as soon as they need it,” he added. “As we emerge from the pandemic, we’d like the government to introduce a national network of early intervention hubs, with one in every community, where young people can find mental health support alongside advice on education and employment.”

The survey also found that 5.4% of adults in Barnet said they felt lonely “often” or “always”, although the ONS cautioned that this was based on a small sample of the local population.

The average across Britain was 7.2%, up from around 5% when a similar survey was carried out between April and May last year.

Areas with younger populations and those with higher unemployment rates tended to see increased levels of loneliness, the latest research found. The feeling was also more pronounced in urban areas than rural locations. But places with strong local businesses and adult education fared better on average, with areas in London particularly benefitting from these things.

Lucy Schonegevel, associate director for policy and practice at the charity Rethink Mental Illness said:

“The widespread disruption of the pandemic has highlighted that loneliness can be driven not solely by the absence of friends and family, but also the lack of face-to-face connection in the workplace and in the communities around us.”

Developing community schemes and support groups could help people recover from the pandemic, she added. Schonegevel also called for more social prescribing, whereby health professionals can recommend activities such as gardening or sports to improve people’s wellbeing, as a possible alternative to more traditional treatments.

She said: “These initiatives can provide a lifeline to people experiencing loneliness, particularly for those living with mental illness who may be more prone to feeling isolated.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.