青瓜视频

Skip to main content
Register for news releases (journalists only)
opens in new window
Newsroom

Social media

Latest news

25
July
2022
|
00:39
Europe/London

青瓜视频2产苍 cost of mental ill health in the North of England

A report out today (Monday, July 25) by the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and northern National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaborations (NIHR ARCs), with contributions from University of Manchester researchers, shows that a parallel pandemic of mental ill health has hit the North of England with a 青瓜视频2产苍 cost to the country at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health in England was hit badly over the course of the pandemic. But people in the North performed significantly worse in their mental health outcomes compared to those in the rest of the country.

  • People in the North under 35 were more likely to have developed a psychiatric disorder over the course of the pandemic, an increase of 2.5% compared to a reduction of 1.3% in rest of England.
  • There was a 12% increase in the numbers of anti-depressants prescribed during the pandemic in the North. During the pandemic, people living in the North were prescribed more anti-depressants proportionately than those in the rest of England (5.3 compared to 4.3).
  •  Before the-pandemic, people from ethnic minorities and those from a white British background had similar mental health scores, Over the pandemic people from ethnic minorities had a larger fall in their average mental health (1.63 points compared to 0.87) and this was greater for those of an ethnic minority in the North (a fall of 2.34 compared to 1.45 for the rest of England).
  • 路Women from ethnic minorities in the North had the worst mental health in the country. Their mental health scores fell by 10% at the start of the pandemic and their scores were 4% lower throughout the pandemic.
  • Mental health fell equally in the North and the rest of the country during the pandemic (5% decrease), but it recovered more quickly in the rest of the country (to 1.3% decrease) than in the North (2% decrease).
  • The report conservatively estimates the reductions in mental health in the North during the two years of the pandemic have cost the UK economy 青瓜视频2产苍 in lost economic productivity. This is 青瓜视频2产苍 more which has been lost than if the North had suffered the same mental health outcomes as the rest of the country.
  • The gap between the lowest and highest earners increased during the pandemic and remains large.

Report co-author Clare Bambra, Professor of Public Health at Newcastle University, said: 青瓜视频淭hese findings reiterate that the pandemic has been very unequal. People in our most deprived communities have suffered most, in terms of death rates, dying younger and in on going ill-health such as long covid. These health inequalities reflect long-term inequalities in the social determinants of health, how we live, work and age.青瓜视频

Dr Luke Munford, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at the University of Manchester and NIHR ARC Greater Manchester, who also co-authored the report, said: 青瓜视频淥ur mental health is important for us as individuals but is also important to our society. We have shown, again, that the pandemic was not equal 青瓜视频 people in the North of England fared worse. We need to act urgently to address this or these unfair inequalities will grow and as already hard hit individuals and us as a society will unfairly suffer.青瓜视频

The report urges that more needs to be done to address inequalities in mental health in the North, if 青瓜视频榣evelling up青瓜视频 is to be achieved.

Among its key recommendations, the report青瓜视频檚 authors are calling for an increase in NHS and local authority resources and service provision for mental health in the North, along with an increase to the existing NHS health inequalities weighting within the NHS funding formula.

Our mental health is important for us as individuals but is also important to our society. We have shown, again, that the pandemic was not equal 青瓜视频 people in the North of England fared worse. We need to act urgently to address this or these unfair inequalities will grow and as already hard hit individuals and us as a society will unfairly suffer
 

Dr Luke Munford

Hannah Davies, Health Inequalities Lead at the NHSA and report co-author, said: 青瓜视频淚ncreased deprivation in the North of England has added to a decline in mental health in the North of England over the course of the pandemic.

青瓜视频淭he reasons for this are many: increased time spent in lockdowns, the type of work people in the North do but the driving factor is poverty.

青瓜视频淭o reverse these outcomes immediate action should be taken to provide funds to mental health suppliers proportionate to the need in those areas and measure to reduce deprivation 青瓜视频 particularly as the cost of living crisis tightens its grip further on the most vulnerable.青瓜视频

The report is backed by the NHSA青瓜视频檚 mental health trust members: Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust.

Kathryn Singh, Chief Executive of RDaSH, said: 青瓜视频淥ur work at RDaSH is rooted in our communities and our teams have huge experience of how much impact COVID-19 has had on the mental health of those communities 青瓜视频 the parallel pandemic. Our experience on the ground is very much borne out by the findings of report, where levels of deprivation were already high, and where the pandemic has exacerbated all the trends that were already in place.

青瓜视频淏ut I think we are in a good position to support the vital recommendations of this report, and I青瓜视频檓 hopeful we can play our part in the innovation and vital investment needed into mental health in communities across the North, so that they can play their full part in the UK青瓜视频檚 economy.青瓜视频

Brent Kilmurray, Chief Executive of TEWV, said: 青瓜视频淒uring the pandemic we saw not only an increase in demand for our services, but an increase in acuity 青瓜视频 with people presenting to us with more severe mental health conditions.

青瓜视频淲e provide services in some areas of very high deprivation, and we青瓜视频檙e working with partners from all sectors across our region to find new ways to support these communities with their mental health. Community mental health transformation is hugely important and will help to provide more joined-up care, taking a person-centred approach to find new ways to support people with mental health issues.

青瓜视频淲e know the impact that COVID-19 has had on people青瓜视频檚 mental health and if you feel your mental health is being affected, please seek help and support as soon as possible.青瓜视频

The NHSA convenes the Northern Mental Health Innovation Network, which brings together world class clinical, academic and industry experts across the North of England and showcases the North青瓜视频檚 excellence in the field of mental health.

Share this page