Covid Scotland: Both restrictions and easing increase mental health concerns, experts say

The easing of Covid restrictions may cause increased anxiety and other mental health problems, experts have said ahead of all Omicron-related measures being removed in Scotland today.

The easing of restrictions may be especially difficult for people who are already mentally ill or otherwise vulnerable, the Royal College of Psychiatrists said.

Dr Jane Morris, vice chair of the college in Scotland, said the continuation of restrictions is also known to negatively impact mental health in the general population.

“We have patients who are already ill, in whom both lockdown and easing of restrictions in their different ways can exacerbate the symptoms,” she said.

The chief executives of the UK's largest airlines have written to the Government to demand an end to coronavirus-related travel restrictions. Issue date: Monday January 24, 2022.

“There's a whole section of the population who were already struggling and they've been disproportionately affected – all the gaps have been widened.”

Dr Morris added: “At the same time we probably shouldn't underestimate how tricky it's going to be even for people who are not ill.”

The continuation of restrictions would also have a negative impact, Dr Morris said.

“The form the restrictions have had to take, which has been lockdown and isolation and reduction of visiting and all of those things that lockdown has involved, have very clearly been evidenced and associated with worsening mental health in the population at large, and very much more extra suffering for people who already had mental disorders,” she said.

Dr Morris stressed this was not an argument for removing restrictions, as the physical illness caused by increased Covid transmission, bereavement and long Covid are also detrimental to mental health.

"It doesn't mean you can't have both sorrows – the sorrow that try as we might we couldn't prevent a lot of physical illness, which is bad for our mental state, and at the same time, all the efforts we've made have been an added burden,” she said.

Charity The Mental Health Foundation is also concerned the easing of restrictions will negatively impact some groups, including those with existing mental health problems, or people who are clinically vulnerable or have vulnerable relatives.

“It's really important that we can relieve restrictions when we can, but we need to be sure that we can, and that the response is proportional,” said the charity’s head of fundraising Chris O’Sullivan.

“Restrictions are tough on our mental health, but Covid is more tough on our mental health, and that's why we need to be cautious, but positive in releasing restrictions as soon as it's safe to do so.”

Increased Covid transmission also has a negative impact on mental health, Mr O’Sullivan said, caused by factors including having the virus, the fear of being infected, and the increased risk for those who are vulnerable,

Bereavement, job losses and poverty associated with contracting the virus all “outweigh the ugly impact of restrictions”, he added.

The most vulnerable groups have suffered the most when restrictions have been eased in the past, Mr O’Sullivan said, and this will likely be the case again.

“That is extremely important in our consideration of how we release restrictions and what a new normal looks like and how quickly that happens,” he said.

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