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Lifting lockdown restrictions and subsequent return to schools, workplaces and social events could trigger increased levels of stress and anxiety for many people, UK charities and experts in the field have said. mental health.
They say some, especially those with mental health issues, will be worried or worried about the readjustment required by the lifting of lockdown restrictions, as outlined in the government’s gradual roadmap to reopening England.
Dr Tine Van Bortel, Senior Public Health Research Associate at Cambridge University, said: “Lockdown has given people with mental disorders like anxiety and PTSD permission to stay home, and knowing that at some point you have to go out again can actually trigger stress and anxiety. “
Rosie Weatherley, Head of Information Content at Mind, said: “Some of us may have found that there are some unexpected positives to lock in – and therefore feel uncomfortable or anxious about it. idea to raise it. For example, we may worry about returning to “normalcy” or not wanting to return to a faster pace with a busier daily life and less downtime for ourselves. “
She said it was “really important” for government and employers to provide empathy and support to those in need “beyond lifting the lockdown.”
Chronology
How the Covid lockdown in England will be lifted
Step 1, part 1
All college students and students come back fully. People can meet another person outside, not just for exercise. Residents of nursing homes may receive a named regular visitor. Otherwise, the order to “stay at home” will remain in effect.
Step 1, part 2
Outdoor gatherings allowed up to six people, or two households if larger, not only in parks but also in gardens. Outdoor sports for children and adults will be allowed. The official stay-at-home order will end, but people will be encouraged to stay put. People will still be encouraged to work from home whenever possible, with no overseas travel allowed beyond the current small number of exceptions.
2nd step
The official master plan states that the next steps will be data-driven, and the dates indicated mean “no earlier than”. In the second stage, there will be a reopening of non-essential businesses, hair and nail salons, and public buildings such as libraries and museums. Most outdoor venues can open, including pubs and restaurants, but only for outdoor tables and beer gardens. Customers will need to be seated, but it will not be necessary to have a meal with alcohol.
The reopening will also be settings such as zoos and theme parks. However, the rules of social contact will apply here, so no indoor mixing between households and limits on the outdoor mixing. Indoor recreation facilities such as gymnasiums and swimming pools can also open, but again, people cannot go alone or with their own household. Reopening of vacation rentals without shared facilities, but only for a household. Funerals can accommodate up to 30 people, while weddings, receptions and vigils can accommodate 15.
Step 3
Again with the warning “no earlier than May 17”, based on data, current vaccination levels and transmission rates.
Step 3 involves most mixing rules being lifted outdoors, with a limit of 30 people meeting in parks or gardens. Indoor mixing will be allowed, up to six people or, if there are more people, two households. Indoor venues such as the interiors of pubs and restaurants, hotels and guesthouses, game centers, cinemas and group exercise classes will reopen. The new indoor and outdoor mixing limits will remain for pubs and other hospitality venues.
For sport, indoor venues can accommodate up to 1,000 spectators or half the capacity, whichever is lower; outdoors, the limit will be 4000 people or half the capacity, whichever is lower. Very large outdoor venues, such as large football stadiums, where crowds can be distributed, will have a limit of 10,000 people, or a quarter full, whichever is less. Weddings will be allowed up to a limit of 30 people, with other events such as baptisms and barmitzvahs also allowed.
This will be the first date on which international vacations can resume, subject to separate review.
Step 4
No earlier than June 21, all legal mixing limits will be removed and the last areas to remain closed, such as nightclubs, will reopen. Big events can take place.
Peter walker Political correspondent
From March 29, outdoor gatherings of up to six people, or two households if larger, can meet in parks or gardens, and June 21 is the scheduled date for all legal mixing limits could be removed.
Laura Peters, head of advice and information at Rethink Mental Illness, welcomed the easing of restrictions and the reduction in social isolation that follows, but said: “It is important not to not assume that everyone is in the same boat. Everyone will have a different set of circumstances to navigate as the restrictions start to ease, and it’s a natural human response to feel anxious in certain situations or in times of uncertainty.
Even among groups such as young people who are broadly optimistic about an end to the lockdown, concerns remain. A YoungMinds survey in January found that while 79% of young people agreed their mental health would start to improve when most restrictions were lifted, some feared the end of the lockdown would happen too quickly and lead to loss of life. new locks in the future.
“Again and again, young people have said that they feel like they are living on ‘Groundhog Day’, and above all they want an end to a cycle of freedoms followed by restrictions,” the report said.
Even though the government’s roadmap for England proves to be sufficiently cautious, research indicates that broader issues around the pandemic are contributing to anxiety and negativity as the end of the lockdown draws closer. According to the most recent Covid-19 social study conducted by UCL researchers, 57% of those surveyed were concerned about the increase in Covid cases and 53% feared a lack of respect for social distancing.
Economic concerns also remain predominant, with about one in three (37%) concerned about a recession and rising unemployment (33%). For many, the government’s leave program has provided an unprecedented social safety net. In January, the total number of UK workers on leave rose to 4.7 million.
Experts were particularly keen to stress that while the easing of restrictions would be seen primarily as a cause for celebration, it would not be seen as such everywhere. They also said the uncertainty and disruption caused by a significant change such as ending the lockdown could negatively affect people without a history of mental health issues.
Dr Emilios Lemonatis, of the Tavistock and Portman NHS trust, said: ‘Many people with anxiety disorders have felt very comfortable at home because it means being in an environment over which they can exercise more control. . They will potentially be very suspicious of the new environment and therefore will need a lot of support to reorient themselves in the new world.
Dr Ganga Shreedhar, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioral Science at LSE, said: ‘Covid has been such a departure from the way we normally live our lives that people have had to put in time and effort to adapt to the new normal … In anticipation of the lifting of restrictions, people may find themselves facing increased levels of stress and anxiety if work commitments or time constraints no longer allow them to keep good routines in place.
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