Doctor warns of ‘mental health pandemic’ as desperate patients seek help
An NHS doctor has told of how a ‘mental health pandemic’ is leading to droves of patients seeking help during the lockdown.
Dr Chris George said ‘patient after patient’ was presenting with problems brought about by factors including job losses and relationship breakdowns.
The GP said that others are likely to be suffering in silence and more work needs to take place to reach out to people in despair.
He gave the snapshot of the situation on the ground to Metro.co.uk after charities raised concerns about the impact of the health crisis on people’s mental health.
Key indicators of distress, including loneliness and suicidality, have worsened during the pandemic, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Dr George said: ‘On the ground there is a huge number of patients presenting with mental health problems, you could call it a pandemic in mental health problems.
‘It’s been like that since the beginning of the pandemic when the country went into lockdown in March.
‘There’s been a huge amount of mental health in clinic, in particular.
‘People who have had mental health problems in the past have found it has deteriorated.
‘For other people it is the first time they have had problems and they are mainly experiencing depression and anxiety.
‘I only see the proportion of people who come forward, there must be so many more people struggling by themselves and not knowing where to turn or how to seek help.’
Dr George, 33, who lives in London and works in Surrey, has been on the frontline as he attends calls at community settings including care homes.
His frontline duties also include working for the 111 service and he was a volunteer for the London Nightingale Hospital before it was stood down.
Outside of his professional brief, he acts as a spokesperson for the Healthcare Workers’ Foundation, which supports the bereaved families of NHS staff.
Dr George said: ‘it’s heart-breaking hearing the patients’ stories and you want to help as best you can. Some of the issues people face include the loss of their job and not having an income, stress on relationships with partners, marriage breakdowns and panic attacks.
‘People are having panic attacks at work and crying in the bathroom or crying on the way home after dropping the kids off at school.
‘That has only increased as the pandemic has gone on.’
Dr George, who has been a doctor for nine years, described the unprecedented pressures he and his colleagues are facing.
He said: ‘We are struggling in terms of getting people seen.
‘A lot of the referrals have been waiting for their surgery in hospitals because their appointments have been delayed.
‘It’s very difficult managing patients where, for example, you don’t know when they are going to have their knee or hip operation despite the condition having a debilitating effect and keeping them awake at night because of the pain.
‘It’s about trying to manage patients in the community but not necessarily knowing when the pandemic is going to end and when people will be able to return to having routine appointments and operations.
‘It’s been a huge challenge managing people at home and in the community.
‘It’s also been about managing the mental health pandemic in clinic. You’ll have an afternoon where it’s patient after patient with depression and anxiety.
‘Almost every consultation will have some kind of Covid scenario.’
Young people in particular have been affected by worsening levels of mental health during the lockdowns and localised Covid restrictions.
A survey by The Prince’s Trust published this month found the crisis has taken a ‘devastating toll’ on 16 to 25-year-olds.
One in four of those responding to the youth charity’s survey indicated they felt ‘unable to cope with life’ since the start of the pandemic.
Dr George said: ‘There definitely needs to be more prioritisation of mental health services.
‘The NHS budget needs to be higher if we are going to deal with this ever-growing pandemic and the huge amount of mental health problems that are coming out of it.
‘I do think rather than waiting for people to present themselves, especially for university students who are quarantined in their accommodation, there has to be a more pro-active approach to get people help.
‘In particular, there needs to be more funding for services for young people, who have been unfairly disadvantaged by the lockdown.’
The Government has said it is transforming mental health care backed by an extra £2.3billion a year through the NHS long-term plan.
Nadine Dorries, Minister for Mental Health, said: ‘I am acutely aware of how difficult this pandemic has been and I remain absolutely committed to supporting people’s wellbeing and mental health.
‘It is understandable people may feel anxious or low at the moment – Every Mind Matters offers a range of great, free resources including personalised mind plans. For those who continue to feel unwell or have pre-existing conditions, mental health services remain open and I urge anyone who is struggling to come forward for help – these services are here to support you.
‘I encourage people to speak to their GP or self-refer for NHS Talking Therapies, and for those in crisis, 24/7 crisis helplines have been set up in every trust in England.
‘Support is out there – do not suffer in silence.’
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