Charities claim COVID-19 Inquiry has backtracked on investigating lockdown’s impact on mental health
Charities and health organizations are cautioning that the failure to thoroughly investigate the effects of lockdowns on mental health support could lead to millions of people being neglected.
Healthcare groups and charities have accused the chairwoman of the COVID-19 Inquiry of retracting her commitment to examining how lockdowns impacted access to mental health services.
Mind, Rethink Mental Health, and other organizations have raised concerns that the inquiry may fail millions of individuals who were denied services if Baroness Hallett does not prioritize exploring the broader mental health consequences of lockdowns.
In an open letter to Baroness Hallett and the inquiry staff released on Wednesday, the groups stated, “The Covid-19 Inquiry’s decision to overlook the mental health repercussions of the pandemic could fail those with pre-existing mental health conditions who suffered a fivefold increase in mortality compared to the general population.”
The letter further added, “It could also fail the eight million individuals who sought mental health assistance but were turned away. Additionally, it could fail future generations by neglecting to analyze potential improvements in the event of another pandemic.”
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Baroness Hallett has now ruled that “Module 3 cannot address the impact of the pandemic on adult mental health services due to the scope and time constraints of the hearings.”
The chairwoman has suggested that the inquiry could cover this topic in other modules and through the broader listening exercise, Every Story Matters.
‘Serious Questions’ Won’t Be Answered
“Following positive signals from the previous Module 3 hearing that mental health would be fully examined, we are dismayed by this reversal,” the letter continued.
The groups highlighted that the narrow focus on inpatient beds for children and young people neglects crucial questions.
These questions include: “Why was there no public mental health plan? Why did individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions experience a fivefold increase in mortality compared to the general population?”
The organizations indicated that without a thorough examination of the physical and mental health impacts of the pandemic, valuable lessons will be overlooked. They urged a reconsideration of the inquiry’s stance.
Mind’s Head of Legal, Rheian Davies, emphasized the need for the inquiry to “analyze the nation’s mental health situation and the political decisions—positive or negative—that were taken and could be avoided in the future.”
Davies cited an instance where psychiatric beds were vacated while community services nearly ceased simultaneously.
She mentioned that individuals were discharged without adequate community support, raising critical questions for the inquiry to address.
“These are important queries that the inquiry needs to tackle. Would we make the same decisions again? What can we learn from the past?” Davies expressed.
She added, “We started on a positive note, but now we seem to be back to square one. Baroness Hallett claims there isn’t enough time, which we disagree with.”
Inquiry ‘Will Cover’ Lockdown’s Impact on Mental Health
In response to the letter, a spokesperson for the COVID-19 Inquiry confirmed that the pandemic’s impact on the population’s mental health will be addressed in all investigations, including Module 3 and the UK-wide listening exercise, Every Story Matters.
“Public hearings for Module 3, focusing on the pandemic’s impact on the UK’s healthcare systems, will commence in September 2024. These hearings will discuss Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services, among other topics. Additional module hearings are scheduled until 2026.”
Increased Suicide Rate in England
Last week, the Office for National Statistics released data revealing that in 2023, there were 5,579 suicides registered in England, representing a rate of 11.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 individuals, significantly higher compared to rates in the preceding years.
The number of suicides last year rose by 6% from 2022, when 5,284 suicides were recorded.
Mind suggested that this increase might be attributed in part to the lingering impacts of lockdowns.
Jen Walters, Mind’s executive director of social change, remarked, “The upsurge in suicides in England since 2022 is concerning. Even one suicide is one too many. The causes of suicide are multifaceted and varied, but we are still grappling with the aftermath of the pandemic and its crippling impact on society.”
She added, “We must do more to reverse this trend.”
PA Media contributed to this report.
