People cutting back on socialising due to money worries during the cost of living crisis, research says
As people socialise with friends less, a charity is calling on the government to do more to prevent mental health impacts of the cost of living crisis as financial concerns impact their day-to-day lives.
Tuesday 17 January 2023 11:48, UK
People are cutting back on their hobbies and seeing friends - as well as struggling with their sleep - due to financial worries, new research suggests.
Financial concerns are preventing people from engaging in activities known to help with mental health, according to a survey by the Mental Health Foundation.
Of the 2,060 adults who responded, 30% said they have experienced poorer quality sleep, 23% have been socialising with friends less, 15% pursued a hobby less often and 12% exercised less.
The charity also published a briefing - Mental Health And The cost-of-living crisis: Another Pandemic In The Making? - which set out recommendations for UK leaders.
It said governments must ensure suitable financial support schemes for those experiencing poverty and financial stress, as well as related mental health problems.
Mark Rowland, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, called the cost of living crisis a "public mental health emergency".
He said: "We need good quality sleep. We need to be able to do things we enjoy. We need exercise. We need to be able to spend time with people we love.
"We need to do more than simply survive to have good mental health and well-being: we must thrive if we are to prevent mental health problems developing.
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"We need our governments to do more to alleviate the negative mental health impacts of the cost of living crisis."
A government spokesperson said: "We are protecting the most vulnerable from the pressures of rising prices with a package worth £26bn, which includes our Energy Price Guarantee, capping the typical household bill at around £2,500 and saving £900 to April.
"We're investing an extra £2.3bn per year into mental health services by 2024, which will deliver an additional 27,000 mental health professionals and give two million more people the help they need.
"We have also awarded £3.6bn to the National Academy of Social Prescribing to support development of social prescribing, aiming to help thousands of people access innovative types of mental health support through a wide range of community-led social activities, services and opportunities."