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AIBU?

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Original poster

No real mental health crisis from pandemic

498 replies

Nimbostratus100 · 09/03/2023 08:41

Confirmed by BMJ, after surveys across high income countries across Europe and ASia

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest, despite a myriad of anecdotal accounts on MN and in some other places.

I know I asked many hundreds of children myself, and found more enjoyed and benefited from lockdown than suffered because of it, and mental health charities knew at the time that suicide rates were falling, which has later been confirmed.

Some people's mental health deteriorated in the lockdowns. Some people's improved. Overall, there was a small rise in mild/moderate mental health problems being reported, while suicides decreased.

Can we stop blaming the pandemic and lockdown for poor mental health across the board now, but particularly in schools.

OP posts:
Zebedee55 · 09/03/2023 15:12

EmmaEmerald · 09/03/2023 15:01

I can't believe people are still arguing this.

People on here accused me of making it up, it was on the local news and on the local websites, but even when I linked, I was told I was a liar.

lockdown brought out the cruel callous side for people who already had it and wanted to lord it over others.

now I am cruel and callous to lockdown supporters. Eye for an eye etc.

Show quote history

Many parks were cordoned off:

metro.co.uk/2020/04/05/uk-parks-closed-coronavirus-lockdown-12510977/

eirlaw · 09/03/2023 15:16

The parks here weren't closed but DDs female friends did get abuse walking the family dog from usually older men.

There was also huge facebook and then local paper outrage at 3 teens going fishing - turns out the all lived together so there wasn't any mixing of households - local councilors and MP still spoke out against it.

My kids were told off for walking home together from school and thus mixing as if they wouldn't be doing that in the house and months of being sent home at short notice and masks and restrictions on movement in schools.

Walks out had people jumping into the road to avoid people coming out the other way.

The world became a very odd place - what long term effects if any that has on mental health I've no idea - but it did happen.

Tinybrother · 09/03/2023 15:17

Given that the OP seems to work in a school, I am genuinely troubled by this statement:

”Can we stop blaming the pandemic and lockdown for poor mental health across the board now, but particularly in schools.”

combined with the fact that the study itself did not include children.

it may be that there are no issues with lockdown for children’s MH, but if people who work with them are taking it as read from a study that doesn’t even cover children’s MH, and are happy to exclude the effects of lockdown on that basis, then that is a real worry

Moonicorn · 09/03/2023 15:22

Why are you ‘troubled’ by it? We all have thoughts and beliefs which we wouldn’t air in our workplace. Doesn’t mean we’re unfit to work there or dangerous Confused

Mycatsgoldtooth · 09/03/2023 15:25

@Janiie So your take away from that heart breaking post is letting people die alone, afraid and in isolation from company and family was protective. So many people in care homes spiralled into I’ll health and lost cognitive function due to the restrictions.
Not allowing someone to say goodbye to a dying spouse or parent or child isn’t protecting them, it’s cruel.

I am sure there will be a meta analysis out soon saying ‘no evidence that dying alone led to negative health outcomes for care home residents families’

Tinybrother · 09/03/2023 15:29

Moonicorn · 09/03/2023 15:22

Why are you ‘troubled’ by it? We all have thoughts and beliefs which we wouldn’t air in our workplace. Doesn’t mean we’re unfit to work there or dangerous Confused

I didn’t say anything about being unfit or dangerous, what made you read that into the word “troubled”?

but let’s hope the OP keeps their belief that the study supports their views to themselves at work, because at best they’ll look a bit silly

TimandGinger · 09/03/2023 15:33

Zebedee55 · 09/03/2023 15:10

Do you not think testing hospital patients and providing PPE was the best way to protect them?🙄

Many old people just faded away when relatives couldn't visit any more. Residents couldn't even sit with each other in a communal area for a long time.

It did more harm than good, which I think is being a acknowledged now.

Honestly, if you weren't involved, with anyone in a care home, then you really haven't got a clue.

Show quote history

My mum was in a long term care hospital. It was either no visits or bring her home. My dad brought her home. It just about broke him but she'd have died with no visitors.

WestwardHo1 · 09/03/2023 15:33

PurpleWisteria1 · 09/03/2023 14:42

Yes there bloody well was or at least it seemed like there was. How people forget.
The rules during the first lockdown were believed to be an hour of exercise but it was frowned upon where I live to linger in one place or play football on the green for example where people may have needed to walk through. You weren’t allowed to drive for the purpose of exercise so it was only where you / your kids could walk to and if you have younger kids with you that isn’t far.
Everyone who was out was nervous of even seeing someone at a 2m distance let alone navigate kids running around with a football.
i remember during those stages of announcing the deaths each day people were even eyeing each other suspiciously out for a walk at times. Felt like you were in a goldfish bowl whenever I stepped out into my village. It was awful.
Then in lockdown two we got beeped and stared at from passing cars because I had enough of weeks of no socialisation of my 7 year old and met up with another mum outside with her child for a walk. Awful.

Show quote history

This was the worst part of the whole thing, for me. That horrible suspicious atmosphere being purposefully created - that your fellow humans were full of GERMS and could kill you just by being close by. I live alone and remember those bloody walks day after day, passing others and trying to smile and engage them in any kind of contact, and being treated as a leper for it sometimes. I remember a father pulling his small kids close to him and eyeing me as I walked past - he didn't return my "hi".

It was fucking awful.

OutOfChocolate · 09/03/2023 15:33

Zebedee55 · 09/03/2023 14:20

My dad was in a nursing home before the pandemic. When it hit, we were banned from visiting.

The staff couldn't get PPE.

Then the "caring" Tories told hospitals to release patients into nursing homes, without being tested.

Covid ripped round that home - they had no protection at all.

One morning they phoned, said my dad had only a couple of hours left to live. I begged them to be allowed to go up, even for 5 minutes, to say goodbye.

They couldn't let me - the caring Tories had forbade it.

My dad died with the matron and a carer sitting with him, and the GP declared him dead over FaceTime.

The GP had to make an educated guess at to what killed him - it went down as heart failure and with Covid. Couldn't be sure, as they couldn't get the testing kits, due to supply issues.

I then had to arrange a funeral with 10 people allowed. No funeral cars were allowed, because of inadequate screening, sitting apart through the service, and no "wake" afterwards.

On the exact day my Dad died, Johnson and Co were holding a garden party, wheeling in suitcases of alcohol and singing ABBA songs, while laughing at how stupidly compliant Joe Public were.

They did nothing to protect those in care homes. It was unforgivable.😡

Show quote history

I am so sorry. The way this government treated elderly people in care homes was criminal. I believe there should be criminal prosecutions.

TimandGinger · 09/03/2023 15:34

eirlaw · 09/03/2023 15:16

The parks here weren't closed but DDs female friends did get abuse walking the family dog from usually older men.

There was also huge facebook and then local paper outrage at 3 teens going fishing - turns out the all lived together so there wasn't any mixing of households - local councilors and MP still spoke out against it.

My kids were told off for walking home together from school and thus mixing as if they wouldn't be doing that in the house and months of being sent home at short notice and masks and restrictions on movement in schools.

Walks out had people jumping into the road to avoid people coming out the other way.

The world became a very odd place - what long term effects if any that has on mental health I've no idea - but it did happen.

Any teens going up to the hills near us were met with a torrent of abuse and the police being called on them. It was just bullying of teenagers.

GordonShakespearedoesChristmas · 09/03/2023 15:36

Oh good.
Remind me to tell those affected to man up.
FFS.

WestwardHo1 · 09/03/2023 15:39

Meandfour · 09/03/2023 15:01

There was, or “it seemed like there was”

There was absolutely not a rule against kicking a football.

Show quote history

That's the point isn't it? The "rules" or guidelines if you will were so nonsensical and ever changing that very few people had a clue what was actually written down, and what was simply being enforced by over zealous police officers or the neighbourhood Covid Stasi.

I know someone - no longer do I class him as a friend - who called the police on some boys who were playing football in the park he had taken his children to. And the police came out and spoke to the lads and dispersed them - this was in Bath. Here in Cornwall during that amazing weather in April and May 2020, households sitting together on the beach were spoken to by the police and sent home.

It absolutely did happen.

creekingmillenial · 09/03/2023 15:41

Yep. Really really ridiculous things happened. People were ‘warned’ by police for sitting in their own front garden for example or for drinking a coffee whilst meeting one other person for a walk outside. It didn’t matter if your actions actually contributed to a spread of infection, some people just took a perverse pleasure in policing others. I found it a very disturbing insight into a dark side of our society.

MarshaBradyo · 09/03/2023 15:42

WestwardHo1 · 09/03/2023 15:39

That's the point isn't it? The "rules" or guidelines if you will were so nonsensical and ever changing that very few people had a clue what was actually written down, and what was simply being enforced by over zealous police officers or the neighbourhood Covid Stasi.

I know someone - no longer do I class him as a friend - who called the police on some boys who were playing football in the park he had taken his children to. And the police came out and spoke to the lads and dispersed them - this was in Bath. Here in Cornwall during that amazing weather in April and May 2020, households sitting together on the beach were spoken to by the police and sent home.

It absolutely did happen.

Show quote history

Yes those types of things did happen. It was madness

creekingmillenial · 09/03/2023 15:43

…and I feel I should add I am not anti restrictions and had all my vaccinations. But the laws and guidance were poorly written and the overal climate was one of fear and control.

Zebedee55 · 09/03/2023 15:43

TimandGinger · 09/03/2023 15:33

My mum was in a long term care hospital. It was either no visits or bring her home. My dad brought her home. It just about broke him but she'd have died with no visitors.

Show quote history

I know. I still feel guilty about my Dad, dying without his family there, even though I know I couldn't have changed a thing.

Well done to your Dad - I know how difficult that must have been. 💐

Zebedee55 · 09/03/2023 15:45

creekingmillenial · 09/03/2023 15:41

Yep. Really really ridiculous things happened. People were ‘warned’ by police for sitting in their own front garden for example or for drinking a coffee whilst meeting one other person for a walk outside. It didn’t matter if your actions actually contributed to a spread of infection, some people just took a perverse pleasure in policing others. I found it a very disturbing insight into a dark side of our society.

The police got carried away with their extra powers. We actually had police chasing old ladies around supermarket car parks because they had bought "non essential" goods. Easter eggs, that first year, sent law enforcement nuts.

It was insane.

alloalloallo · 09/03/2023 15:46

Parks were closed off here too. The council removed the seats from swings, zip wire, etc

Benches had chains locked across them so you couldn’t sit on them.

I remember walking my dog on the beach and the police were there shoo-ing everyone off the beach (up on to the very narrow pavements)

One bloke used to stand at a busy cross roads and count cars and post his daily count on Facebook - which would then get everyone ranting and raving about Covidiots flaunting lockdown rules

People would post photos of groups of teens minding their own business walking down the street - the replies were always awful.

My daughters were out walking our dog once and got a mouthful of abuse for breaking rules.

I remember once someone posting a massive rant on a FB community group about their neighbours constant visitors. It turned out the visitors palliative carers for a terminally ill member of the family

One of my neighbours would come round and complain I was going out too much and threaten to report me to the police, another complained that we weren’t all taking part in the clap for the NHS.

It was just awful.

There was so much busy bodying and curtain twitching and ill feeling. I do wonder how these people get on with their neighbours now

Theluggage15 · 09/03/2023 15:48

You just sound like a lockdown nutter OP. Sorry life’s back to normal. Your meta analysis is a load of complete bull.

eirlaw · 09/03/2023 15:48

Benches had chains locked across them so you couldn’t sit on them.

Ones in city center were tapped off even at the train station - DH sent a pic on way back from hospital with one of the kids.

alloalloallo · 09/03/2023 15:49

I remember confiding in a friend about it’s how scared I was for my daughter. That I was genuinely worried she’d harm herself and I couldn’t get her any help

’Friend’ told me my daughter’s mental health was collateral damage and we’d just have to put up with it. People were dying and that was more important. She’s not a friend anymore

TimandGinger · 09/03/2023 15:51

Zebedee55 · 09/03/2023 15:43

I know. I still feel guilty about my Dad, dying without his family there, even though I know I couldn't have changed a thing.

Well done to your Dad - I know how difficult that must have been. 💐

Show quote history

Thank you. x And it's no judgement of anyone who didn't do that. It was just about impossible for families.

wonderinglywondering · 09/03/2023 15:51

Oh that’s good I must have imagined my husband calling my mum to make sure i didn’t attempt suicide, or my dad having to talk my 18 year old autistic sister out of self harming in front of her mum because all her support systems were cut off and CAMHS were overwhelmed. I’ll let them all know we imagined it.

TimandGinger · 09/03/2023 15:52

eirlaw · 09/03/2023 15:48

Benches had chains locked across them so you couldn’t sit on them.

Ones in city center were tapped off even at the train station - DH sent a pic on way back from hospital with one of the kids.

I worked in a hospice and we taped off our communal sofas.

WestwardHo1 · 09/03/2023 15:52

At the start of the November 2020 lockdown (remember that pathetic "firebreak"?), I asked a man in high vis what on earth he was doing as he went about chaining up the local playpark and its equipment. His reply was basically "mind your own business, I'm just following orders" and wouldn't tell me whose orders they were. I asked him if what he was doing was going to prevent a single case of Covid, in his opinion. Still wouldn't answer.

It was the Town Council of course.