Coronavirus has created a new source of anxiety – but we will always take mental health seriously

There is light at the end of the tunnel, Harriet Hall writes, if we are all open about our concerns

Saturday 23 May 2020 00:29 BST
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Friends and colleagues are coming together in a crisis
Friends and colleagues are coming together in a crisis

Lockdown is storing up a “tsunami of mental health problems”. That’s according to a warning from the Royal College of Psychiatrists this week.

It isn’t a surprise, of course. The coronavirus pandemic has led to widespread confusion, anxiety, loneliness, grief, depression and an increase in domestic violence as well as giving rise to financial concerns. One of the many apprehensions surrounding how the world will look after this unimaginable crisis has ended is how, as a society, we will get back on our feet – and who will be there to support us when we do.

There is light coming through the cracks: on an anecdotal level, I have noticed colleagues, friends, family and contributors to The Independent speaking more openly about their mental health and their emotions than ever before. It is no longer unusual for someone to tell you they are struggling – because we all are, to varying degree. Phrases such as “how are you feeling?” and “how are you coping?” have replaced the boilerplate “hope you’re well”.

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