When the next pandemic inevitably arrives, we should remember what we learned from this one
When the first national lockdown was announced in March last year, there was an immediate concern from professionals and lay people alike: this is going to be terrible for people’s mental health. As lockdowns dragged on into this year, and some emergent data backed up the initial concerns, the clamour grew louder. The mental health effects became fuel for lockdown sceptics around the world, including in the UK and the US.
Now, as England debates the final steps to freedom, the new health secretary, Sajid Javid, has cited mental health concerns as a reason why the country needs to open up. The benefit of restrictions, the argument goes, is simply not worth the psychological cost.
