Coronavirus is taking its toll on the nation’s mental health – it’s time politics took our wellbeing seriously

When the Liberal Democrats called for promoting wellbeing to be a requirement if all government policy, the idea was dismissed as fluffy or a gimmick, writes Layla Moran. I wonder if those critics feel quite the same now?

Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that almost half of the population struggled with high levels of anxiety during lockdown last month (Getty Images)

In the past, I have been open about my struggles with anxiety and depression. I know that every so often it can be challenging to stay healthy and positive. That’s true at the best of times, let alone the worst.

If you are feeling down, or up and down, at the moment then you’re not alone. Last week, the Office for National Statistics revealed that nearly half of adults in the UK reported “high” anxiety levels between 20 and 30 March 2020. That’s more than 25 million people. These figures deserve acknowledgement. And then, we must think about how the country recovers from this crisis – both economically and mentally.

We can do this by grabbing this once in a generation opportunity to change the way we do things. Instead of the government looking solely at economic indicators, it should also factor in metrics on wellbeing and mental health too.