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1 year from Lockdown: SAMH research shows mental health impacts

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 24th March 2021
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The research highlights the scale of poor mental health during the pandemic, with 56% of participants reporting worse health than earlier.

To mark one year since the first COVID-19 lockdown, SAMH have published their most recent research into the effects the pandemic has had on mental health. “Forgotten? Mental health care and treatment during the Coronavirus pandemic” exposes the deeply negative impact on the lives of people with mental health problems. (this link will take you away from our website)

The research included surveys of over 1000 people and in-depth interviews with 15 between August and December. In their final survey in November, 56% of respondents felt their mental health had gotten worse recently compared to earlier in the pandemic. However, 13% of those who tried to contact their GP were unsuccessful, and 27% of people said their care had stopped entirely due to the pandemic.

Some individuals did report positive experiences of accessing care and support, including through the third sector. Many others shared frustrations with the move away from in-person consultations, disruption to services, and lack of consistency and continuity in terms of which professionals were supporting them. In addition, there were fears that thinly stretched services may not be able to provide support if their mental health deteriorated.

Overall, the research highlights the importance of prioritising mental health as Scotland recovers from the pandemic, with SAMH Chief Executive Billy Watson concluding that “the findings in this report make clear that mental health services must now be a national priority.”

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