Some 19.2% of UK adults were likely to have some form of depression in June, up from 9.7% before the pandemic, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a report. Conversely, 3.5% of adults experienced an improvement in their symptoms of depression.
“Adults who were young, female, unable to pay an unexpected expense when disabled were most likely to experience some form of depression during the pandemic,” said Tim Vizard, chief investigative officer of the ONS.
A large majority (84.9%) of adults who experienced some form of depression said they were stressed and anxious, and 42.2% said their relationships were affected. In comparison, 20.7% of adults without signs of depression said that Covid-19 affected their relationships.
The results are based on a nationally representative survey of adults in Britain, the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, which asks a series of questions to produce a score of depressive symptoms.
For example, respondents were asked if they could afford an unexpected expense of £ 850 ($ 1,122), indicating if they were struggling financially. Those who could not afford it were more likely to have symptoms of depression.
Charley Baker, associate professor of mental health at the University of Nottingham, UK, told the Science Media Center that it was “not surprising” to increase rates of depressive symptoms.
“However, it is important to avoid pathologizing about what can be seen as ridiculous responses to the current pandemic, as it does with uncertainty and fear,” Baker said.
Elaine Fox, professor of cognitive and affective psychology at the University of Oxford, told the Science Media Center that the ONS data were “worrying”, but stressed that it gives an indication of everyday feelings instead of a diagnosis.
“The most worrying aspect of these results in my opinion is that, given the financial problems that many are experiencing now, an increasing inability to pay bills is likely to lead to ever-increasing levels of depression and anxiety,” she said.
“These economic factors are likely to play an important role in the nation’s mental health in the coming months and years.”
The impact of coronavirus measures on mental health has also been revealed in the US.
Earlier this month, a US Centers for Disease Control survey found that nearly 41% of respondents struggled with mental health issues stemming from the pandemic – both related to the coronavirus pandemic itself and the measures in place to contain it, including physical distance and overnight stays at home.
In the U.S., prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs began to climb in mid-February, with 34% spike by March 15, according to a report by Express Scripts, a Cigna-owned pharmacy manager.
The increase in use was almost twice as high for women, whose prescriptions jumped almost 40%, compared to men, who saw a rise of 22.7%.
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