Spotlight on mental health

The hidden pandemic: What do we know about how people feel?

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The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed our world and the past year has been challenging for many.

Today, although vaccines are bringing hope, the pandemic and its challenges are far from over.

People are struggling with mental health issues and with worries about their jobs, finances, loved ones and the future.

A heavy toll on mental health

Around the world, reported levels of anxiety and depression have increased significantly, even doubling in some countries. This has been driven both by the pandemic itself – the deaths caused by the virus, strict public health measures – and by the economic crisis it has triggered.

Young people hit hard

The pandemic has been especially hard for children, teens and young adults. Those aged 18-30 were already at above-average risk of loneliness before COVID-19, but school and university disruptions and closures, along with limits on social interaction, have made things worse.

Reduced social contact and lost hours of schooling can have a lasting effect on children’s and young adults’plans and prospects and their mental health, to their detriment and that of their communities and countries.

> Supporting young people’s mental health through the COVID-19 crisis | Policy response
> The state of school education: One year into the COVID pandemic | Report

People are worried about jobs, finances & the future

In a recent OECD survey, 44% of households report having at least one member whose work had been disrupted by the crisis – such as by a job loss, a lay-off, a retention scheme, reduced working hours, unpaid leave or resignation.

People are concerned about their overall financial, social and economic well-being and that of their families. Many say they haven’t been able to cover usual expenses, such as rent, mortgage, utilities or credit card bills. Many are unsure if they have the right skills and knowledge to secure a good quality job in the next decade.

People are also worried about adequate long-term care for their elderly relatives and about whether they themselves will be able to afford to retire one day.

> Risks that matter: The long reach of COVID-19 | Policy response

> Addressing the hidden pandemic: The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health, by Anthony Gooch & Francesca Colombo | Blog

How can governments help?

OECD countries have taken steps to increase mental health support, including more resources for phone support lines or flyers, better access to mental health services, and more mental health funding.

Beyond such crisis measures, governments should:

  • foster an integrated, whole-of-society approach to mental health that involves both the public sector and employers

  • adapt mental health policies to support young people

  • assure continued access to existing mental health services and add new services or entitlements as needed

  • raise awareness of how the workplace – including remote working – impacts mental health and promote mental health training for line managers and executives

  • consider increasing mental health support for jobseekers through public employment services.

As the pandemic continues, nearly 70% of people in OECD countries say their government should be doing more to help. Governments have already put into place unprecedented support measures.

Today, they should continue to use all resources necessary to maintain income support for people and firms until economies can fully reopen. Going forward, countries can also turn to the OECD framework for benchmarking mental health systems performance, to help them ease the burden of mental ill health on individuals, societies and economies.

Latest update on 01/12/2021.

Photo credits ©: Shutterstock.com.
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