Office for National Statistics 'well-being' survey shows many of us are more isolated and anxious than ever

Disconnect between seemingly objective measurements of well-being and way we feel about our lives ought to concern us

(Cultura/Getty Creative)

The latest “well-being” figures from the Office for National Statistics are intriguing, if not reassuring. Some indicators suggest our lot is improving: employment rates are relatively high; disposable income has increased; crime against the person has fallen significantly since 2012; greenhouse gas emissions are down; and we have longer life expectancy than ever before.

And yet there are some sour notes among the sweetness and light. We appear to be worrying more about our health, while adult participation in sport has fallen since the London Olympics. Fewer people feel they have a close friend or relative on whom they can rely in times of need. And the proportion of respondents who experience anxiety or depression remains stubbornly high – indeed, the figure has risen since the last ONS survey to nearly 20 per cent.

This disconnect between seemingly objective measurements of well-being and the way we feel about our lives ought to concern us. It suggests strongly that the price we are paying for being employed and staying solvent is not inconsequential: we may be in work, but evidently don’t feel secure enough to enjoy the rewards. And our working patterns seemingly no longer permit regular sporting activities of the sort known to improve psychological as well as physical health.

Is this the kind of economic recovery that David Cameron and George Osborne envisaged? Zero-hours contracts which leave workers stressed and depressed; long days for those worried that employers will ditch them if they aren’t seen to pull their weight; in short, national growth – however slow – at the cost of individual development. We are consistently told by the Government that we “are all in it together”, as if that alone should bind us as one community. The ONS survey shows this to be a fallacy: many of us are more isolated and anxious than ever.