The coronavirus pandemic is having many effects on our lives, including causing a mental health epidemic. The added stress, whether worry about health, loved ones, financial matters, job security and general uncertainty about the future affects us all and can cause anxiety and depression, made worse for those already suffering from these conditions.

Mental health services are also affected and are not providing the level of support they were previously and people’s survival strategies are often no longer possible. On top of that, we are social creatures and the effect of long-term lockdown and isolation on people’s mental health will be devastating.

The NHS staff and key workers have been heroic in their efforts to keep the country going during the crisis but they are being let down – as are we all - by a government that started by being negligent before moving on to incompetent.

Of course, the coronavirus crisis is very difficult to handle, but any government action has to take into account the mental health epidemic too. By focusing solely on the coronavirus and not considering the wider implications, the Government has abandoned those suffering mental health issues and ignored the catastrophic mental health effects of the lockdown. And this will mean a great deal of pain and suffering for people and a massive increase in the number of suicides.

Mark Dawes,

Campaigns Officer, Waltham Forest & Redbridge Green Party