Date:
Emotional and mental wellbeing struggles continue
During the festive season, similar proportions of people struggled with their mental health compared to late November. Specifically, as of the week before Christmas:
- Over half (51%) of the Scottish population had felt anxious or worried in the previous two weeks because of the pandemic. Women (59%), full-time students (61%), single parents (63%) and those who have a pre-existing mental health condition (69%) were population groups who appeared to be feeling more anxious or worried
- Almost a quarter of people (24%) reported feeling lonely in the previous two weeks
- Feelings of loneliness were higher amongst younger people, too, with 36% and 37% of people aged 18 to 24 and 25 to 34, respectively. Feelings of loneliness have been consistently higher across all waves for young people than in the general population
- Loneliness levels were also higher in unemployed people, full-time students, single parents and people with pre-existing mental health conditions
- Like Wave 8 (late Nov), seeing family freely (25%) or seeing friends freely (16%) were highlighted as ways that would help alleviate people’s feelings of loneliness
- One in five (20%) of the population reported feeling hopeless, and over half (52%) reported feeling frustrated in the previous two weeks
COVID-19 restrictions continue to have a relentless impact on people’s abilities to cope
In general, 65% of people feel they are coping with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-related stress very well or fairly well. Levels of coping with the COVID-19 restrictions and their effect on their mental health are only slightly higher than in November (63%).
Specifically, as of late December:
- Those who reported not coping with this stress well (17% overall); those 18-24yrs (26%), the unemployed (30%); and those who have a pre-existing mental health condition(s) (34%) were more likely to be less likely to be coping
- Almost half (47%) reported that they feel worried about being able to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic
What is helping people cope with the stress of the pandemic?
- For over half (53%) of the population, going for a walk outside helped them cope with the stress of the pandemic in the last two weeks. This has mostly been the top method of coping throughout the study’s 9 Waves
- Being able to visit green spaces helped over a third (39%)
- Doing a hobby also helped a third (34%)
- Contacting family (45%) and friends (41%) also helped people cope with the stress of the pandemic
- Contacting family was the top coping method for those over 70 years old (63%), for people with a pre-existing mental health condition (43%) and single parents (46%)
- Limiting exposure to COVID-19 news (30%) and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (29%) (e.g. balanced diet, enough sleep, exercise etc.) were also cited as popular coping method to cope with the stress of COVID-19
However, less helpful coping strategies have risen since late November. Specifically, as of December:
- 21% of the population said they were drinking more alcohol to cope with the pandemic's stress in the last two weeks. This is compared to 17% in wave eight
- The amount who stated they had eaten too much to cope with the pandemic's stress had risen slightly in this wave to 36%
The Scottish population continues to feel concerned and worried:
- Over half (52%) are worried about becoming ill with COVID-19, and almost two-thirds (63%) are worried about passing on COVID-19 if they become sick with the virus
- Almost a third (29%) worry about worsening their existing mental health difficulties
- Over a quarter (28%) have financial concerns
- Over half (55%) are worried about being separated from their family and friends
Worries about their child(ren) continue to be present too:
- Nearly half (44%) are worried about the mental health of their child(ren) and how the pandemic is affecting this
- Over a fifth (22%) are worried about looking after their child(ren) in case they get sick
- Parents are more worried about how their child(ren)’s social development is being impacted (33%) as opposed to their educational development (23%)
People anticipate a negative long-term impact of the pandemic on their future and the future of others
Feelings of uncertainty about the future have risen since late November. Specifically, as of December:
- Over half (56%) of adults are worried their future is going to be worse because of the pandemic
- Two-thirds (65%) of adults are concerned that the future of others their age is going to be worse
- The proportions of adults who are worried about their future are higher for people aged 18-24 (66%), those with pre-existing mental health conditions (63%) and full-time students (75%)
Suicidal thoughts
- The proportion of people who had experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings in the previous two weeks was 13%, slightly decreasing from 14% in wave eight
- Figures were highest for unemployed people (31%), people with a pre-existing mental health condition (29%), single parents (25%), full-time students (25%) and people aged 18-24 (23%)
- 10% who said they experienced these thoughts said they experienced them once or more a day
- 6% of people aged 18-24 reported that they had deliberately hurt themselves, which was a slight decrease from 8% in wave eight
- 6% of unemployed people and 8% of people with a pre-existing mental health condition reported that they had deliberately hurt themselves
