One in five UK adults have had depressive symptoms during pandemic

One in five adults in Britain have experienced symptoms of depression during the pandemic, with young people, disabled people and renters hit the hardest, according to official figures.

The figures, based on the ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle survey, show that between January and March 2021, during the second lockdown, 21% of adults experienced some form of depression, an increase from 19% in November 2020 and more than double the figure observed before the pandemic.

Despite the increase, the number of GP depression diagnoses in England have fallen during the pandemic. Experts said the figures indicated that many people may not be accessing the medical care they need.

Younger adults and women were more likely to experience some form of depression, with more than four in 10 women aged between 16 and 29 experiencing depressive symptoms, compared with 26% of men the same age.

Disabled people, clinically vulnerable adults, those renting their home and those living in the most deprived areas of England were more likely than average to experience some form of depression.

The number of depression diagnoses between 23 March and 31 August 2020 decreased by 23.7% in comparison with the same period of 2019. This was slightly lower than the 29.7% fall in all diagnoses by GPs in England over the same period. Depression diagnoses made up about 15.6% of all GP diagnoses, up 1.3 percentage points year on year.

The decrease in depression diagnoses was bigger in men (27.4%) than women (21.4%). It spanned all ethnicities, but the Chinese ethnic group saw the biggest change in depression diagnoses as a percentage of all diagnoses, up 4 points.

Theodore Joloza, a principal research officer at the ONS, said the statistics indicated a rising toll on mental health, with “many people not necessarily accessing medical help”.

Prof Martin Marshall, the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said the figures showed the impact of the pandemic on patients’ mental health, both directly as a result of Covid-19 or long Covid and indirectly as a result of the social and economic impact of lockdown restrictions.

He said: “The increasing numbers of patients presenting mental health conditions is one example of the increasing complexity of GP work during the pandemic, and highlights the need for GPs to have more time with their patients.

“GPs and our teams are at the forefront of helping communities recover from the pandemic, including ensuring patients receive the mental healthcare they need. To do this, our profession needs the support of government and policymakers. We urgently need to see plans to address the intense workload and workforce pressures facing general practice so that we can continue delivering the care our patients need and deserve.”

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, said: “We know at the peak of the pandemic last year some people may understandably have been more reluctant to seek help, but the number of appointments has now returned to pre-pandemic levels and we continue to encourage people to come forward if they’re concerned about their mental health.

“Access to talking therapies remained available throughout the pandemic, with the option to self-refer, along with support available via crisis phone lines and increased use of digital services and continued treatment for existing patients, with investment in mental health services continuing to grow.”