Lifeplus National Mental Health Survey

Pandemic Causes More Than 6 in 10 people to Reflect on Life!

A new survey finds that 62% of people have had cause to reflect on their life because of Covid-19, this rises to 70% in the Gen Z sector of 18-to-24-year olds. Further evidence shows that this year’s pandemic has changed perspective for more than half of UK adults including an increased focus on health, mental wellbeing and sustainability.

The study carried out by Lifeplus Europe Ltd. was the second phase of a survey conducted pre-Covid-19 that focused on the rising levels of anti-depressant drugs and the role that social media, diet, exercise and social interaction has on mental health.

Phase 2 key results include:

62% of those surveyed said that the pandemic has caused them to reflect on life and how they live it, this increases to 70% for the Gen Z population of 18-24-year olds.

• “A lot of what I used to spend money on seemed frivolous and I've tried to improve relations with friends and family to make myself more open to giving support”– respondent quote
• “I am valuing the time at home with my wife and children a lot more and realising that chasing success for them meant nothing if we didn't have the time to enjoy it together” - respondent quote
• “Family is more important and I am less concerned with how others perceive me. If I am content then it shouldn't bother me if others see me as a failure” - respondent quote

Over half of people surveyed (52%) have seen a change in their mental health as a result of Covid-19, this increases to 77% for 18-24-year-olds and 68% for 25-34-year olds.

• “I am usually a fairly positive person but since Covid I have become much more negative. Everything you usually look forward to has been taken away e.g. family events, family holidays and Christmas”– respondent quote

55% of respondents indicated that their perspective on what matters has changed, this increases to 60% amongst females and the Gen Z population.

• “I no longer feel the need to buy myself clothes which I enjoyed doing before Coronavirus. Instead I enjoy the simple things in life; a walk with my husband and being grateful for what I have” - respondent quote
• “I am less interested in possessions and what others think about me” - respondent quote

2 in 5 (42%) feel that elements of their life have reset or changed because of the pandemic, this rises to 51% for 18-24-years.

43% admitted to making long-term changes to the way they live now; this rose to 51% in those aged 18-44 years.

• “Dietary and exercise improvements to facilitate holistic wellbeing. Meditation to calm myself. A back-to-basics attitude in life and trying to keep things simple.” - respondent quote

34% of 18-to-34-year olds are making changes regarding sustainability and the environment because of the pandemic.

• “I will continue to try and live with as little impact on the world as possible in terms of using sustainable items and generally just consuming as little as possible! – respondent quote

37% of those surveyed said they have made changes to their health and wellbeing because of Covid-19, this increased to 49% in the 18-24 age group and 43% in 25-34-year olds. With 36% of the younger Gen Z population making specific plans to support their mental health.

Phase 1 Comparisons

Two-thirds (66%) agreed that anti-depressants were too readily available in the UK with male respondents (70%) and those aged over 45 years (76%) significantly more likely to agree. This was a similar pattern of response as seen in Phase 1 of the survey.

With little change from Phase 1, there remains a strong desire for more mental health support and less anti-depressant treatment by around 8 in 10 of UK adults.

Over half of those surveyed in phase 2 (51%) claim to have personally suffered from mental health issues within their lifetime. This is an increase of 8% from phase 1 with the younger age groups more likely to have suffered. 70% of Gen Z 18-to-24-year olds admit to having mental health issues at some point.

Approximately 3 in 4 people agree that social media and poor diet can play a role in mental health. However more than a quarter of those surveyed strongly disagreed that social media had been a support during Covid-19. Many respondents cited that the positive aspects of connecting people were outweighed by the negativity of the material published on social media.

• “Social media has been both positive and negative during Covid-19. It brought people and communities together but could also be the source of fake news and worry for those people with mental health issues” - respondent quote

Across the UK, it is clear that the events of 2020 have caused the nation to reflect, reset and start to rebuild their lives for a very different future.

Lifeplus is presenting survey results. Lifeplus does not recommend changing your treatment plan without consulting your GP

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Notes to Editor:

Press contacts – Lilac James PR, 07931752535, info@lilacjames.com

Please note that data has been re-based to take out ‘don’t know/prefer not to say’

Demographic Information – Phase 2 of Survey

2000 Participants – 33% North of England, 25% Midlands, 42% South of England

18-24 years – 14%
25-34 years – 18%
35-44 years – 16%
45-54 years – 17%
55-64 years – 15%
65+ years - 20%

31% Households with children
67% Household with no resident children

Gender Split

Phase 2 Survey conducted by Cambridge Market Research Ltd www.cambridgeMR.com in November 2020. Phase 1 was conducted in January 2020 pre Covid-19