Survey reveals toll pandemic has taken on public's wellbeing

Rising cases of Covid-19 are causing widespread anxiety.

A new survey has found that almost half of people in Ireland say the Covid-19 pandemic has made them feel depressed, anxious, and has negatively impacted their confidence.

Some 44% of respondents to the study, carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and Irish Pharmacy Union, said they gained weight, overate, or were unable to exercise during the pandemic, and 24% said they had missed medical appointments.

Fears of losing employment drove anxiety in 25% of respondents, and 14% said they drank too much.

Just 2% of the 1,005 adults who took part in the study said they had contracted the virus.

The groupings cited as the most likely to experience worries related to Covid-19 were women and people aged between 25 and 34.

When asked whether they felt in control of their mental health and emotions, 34% of men said they were, while only 21% of women said the same. Some 47% of people cited depression, anxiety and a lack of confidence to describe how they feel.

Among 25 to 34-year-olds, 12% said they worried "a lot", and this feeling was found to more prevalent in men than in women.

The number of people who reported feeling "less in control" of their emotions also doubled when compared to findings for the same period last year.

Conversely, it was found that Covid-19 has prompted health benefits too. 

Some 29% of respondents said they are now exercising more, and 21% say they are getting more sleep, while 35% said they are experiencing less work-related stress, and had more time to meet friends and family.

Chair of IPHA’s Consumer Healthcare Division, John Sheehy, said the survey was an important snapshot of the public’s mood and behaviours during the pandemic.

“Covid-19 has been hard on everyone, especially those who have lost people close to them or who contracted the virus," he said. "This survey shows the toll on people’s mental wellbeing has been heavy, causing feelings of depression and anxiety at a time of uncertainty for everyone.

"There are upsides too, with people spending more time exercising and with their families.

"We hope the survey can help inform policy decisionmaking, especially when it comes to assessing the public’s response to measures needed to control the spread of the virus.

"All of us want to navigate our way through this emergency and, hopefully, emerge the far side more resilient and closer as a community.”