Coronavirus: Depression rates in the UK double during lockdown

Depression rates in the UK doubled during the coronavirus lockdown, new figures have showed. Credit: PA

Depression rates in the UK doubled during the coronavirus lockdown, new figures show.

The Office for National Statistics found that nearly one in 10 (9.7%) of British adults suffered some sort of depression between July 2019 and March 2020.

But when the same group of 3,500 participants were assessed again in June 2020, the figure had risen to 19.2% - nearly one in five.

The majority (84%) of people experiencing some form of depression cited stress and anxiety affecting their wellbeing and 42% said their relationships had been affected.

One in eight (12.9%) developed moderate to severe depressive symptoms during the pandemic, while a further 6.2% of the population continued to experience this level of depressive symptoms.

Women were more likely than men to be experiencing some form of depression during the pandemic.

Nearly 23% of all women said they had suffered moderate to severe depressive symptoms during this time, in comparison to 11.9% prior to lockdown.

In men, depressive symptoms rose from around 7% prior to lockdown to just under 15% in June 2020.

Tim Vizard, from the ONS, said: “Nearly one in five adults were experiencing some form of depression during the pandemic, almost doubling from around one in 10 before.

“Adults who are young, female, unable to afford an unexpected expense or disabled were the most likely to experience some form of depression during the pandemic.”