Eurofound: Europeans face serious mental health issues

The number of Europeans who describe their mental health status as “bad” or “very bad” increased during the pandemic of the coronavirus, even after the lifting of lockdowns, according to poll results released today.

The EU agency Eurofound’s poll of 200,000 people found that the number of those who described their health status as “bad” or “very bad” doubledeven though the restrictions were eased – from 6.4% where it was in March 2020, i.e. at the start of the health crisis, to 12.7% two years later.

“With the reopening of society many hoped that their mental state would improve. However, in the spring of 2022 the risk of depression remained alarmingly high for many people,” it said in the release of the poll’s findings, adding that the risk appears greater for young people.

The online poll, conducted from March 2020 to May 2022, also revealed that more citizens in the 27 EU member states are struggling to make ends meet and are more at risk of energy poverty, mainly due to high inflation.

Some 53% of respondents said they faced difficulties in making ends meet in the spring of 2022 compared to 47% at the start of the pandemic, Eurofound found in a separate report.

“Worry to a great extent (about finances) combined with uncertainty about the future is likely to continue to have a negative impact on mental health“, refers.

In addition, almost one in five respondents answered that they did not receive the necessary mental health care in terms of visiting a hospital and a mental health specialist.

RES-EMP

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