The social underpinnings of mental distress in the time of COVID-19 - time for urgent action

Rose, Nikolas, Manning, Nick, Bentall, Richard, Bhui, Kamaldeep, Burgess, Rochelle, Carr, Sarah, Cornish, Flora ORCID: 0000-0002-3404-9385, Devakumar, Delan, Dowd, Jennifer B., Ecks, Stefan, Faulkner, Alison, Keene, Alex Ruck, Kirkbride, James, Knapp, Martin ORCID: 0000-0003-1427-0215, Lovell, Anne M., Martin, Paul, Moncrieff, Joanna, Parr, Hester, Pickersgill, Martyn, Richardson, Genevra and Sheard, Sally (2020) The social underpinnings of mental distress in the time of COVID-19 - time for urgent action. Wellcome Open Research, 5. ISSN 2398-502X

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Abstract

We argue that predictions of a 'tsunami' of mental health problems as a consequence of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the lockdown are overstated; feelings of anxiety and sadness are entirely normal reactions to difficult circumstances, not symptoms of poor mental health. Some people will need specialised mental health support, especially those already leading tough lives; we need immediate reversal of years of underfunding of community mental health services. However, the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on the most disadvantaged, especially BAME people placed at risk by their social and economic conditions, were entirely predictable. Mental health is best ensured by urgently rebuilding the social and economic supports stripped away over the last decade. Governments must pump funds into local authorities to rebuild community services, peer support, mutual aid and local community and voluntary sector organisations. Health care organisations must tackle racism and discrimination to ensure genuine equal access to universal health care. Government must replace highly conditional benefit systems by something like a universal basic income. All economic and social policies must be subjected to a legally binding mental health audit. This may sound unfeasibly expensive, but the social and economic costs, not to mention the costs in personal and community suffering, though often invisible, are far greater.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/
Additional Information:	© 2020 The Authors
Divisions:	Personal Social Services Research Unit
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Date Deposited:	12 Aug 2020 12:33
Last Modified:	07 Apr 2024 04:00
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/106146

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