New data released today by the Mental Health Foundation has revealed widespread use of unhealthy coping mechanisms by people in London when they are “stressed, anxious, or low.”
Two in three Londoners (66%) had taken harmful actions to cope with poor mental health in the past month. A significant proportion of Londoners report isolating themselves (30%) or spending more time scrolling social media and online (28%) as a way to cope with anxiety, stress and low mood, despite a strong body of evidence which suggests these actions can be harmful to individuals.
The poll of more than 4,000 adults across the UK, carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation, has been released to mark the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week (11–17 May). The research explores public attitudes and behaviours around taking action for good mental health, including both the positive and negative actions people are using to address or cope with mental health problems.
The findings were particularly stark for London, with a higher proportion of people reporting self-isolating or spending more time on social media to cope with poor mental health than any other region in Britain. London also had higher levels of people reporting that they worked longer hours or kept busy to avoid thinking about feelings (17%), or used recreational drugs such as cannabis or ketamine (9%), than anywhere else in the country.
Other harmful actions that a significant number said they had done to cope with their mental health included oversleeping and not getting out of bed (26%) increasingly referred to by some as “bed rotting” – and overeating or comfort eating (20%).
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation said:
“This polling tells us that, despite the progress in increasing awareness around mental health, too many of us in London have yet to translate awareness into effective action. Instead, our data shows a concerning number of people, especially young people, are taking actions to cope with poor mental health that could be making their situation worse.
“Over 25 years of Mental Health Awareness Week, we have heard calls that we have reached peak awareness on mental health, but with the UK’s record levels of poor mental health, and with our data showing that many people are coping through harmful actions, it is clear there is still so much more to be done.
“To address London’s mental health crisis, people must be equipped with the skills and understanding of which actions improve our mental health, and to know which actions may feel good in the short term but worsen our mental health over time. Behaviours like self-isolation, doomscrolling, and bed-rotting are not only potentially harmful in themselves, but they can also cut us off from the positive influences on our mental health, like community and connection to nature.”
While harmful actions were widespread, the polling also shows a significant number of Londoners are taking helpful actions that can reduce the risk of poor mental health. 81% of people had taken at least one helpful action to support their mental health, with the most popular being prioritising sleep and rest (30%), taking part in physical activity (26%), and spending time in nature (25%), such as the city’s parks.
However, more than three in five Londoners (61%) are doing at least one harmful ‘coping’ mechanism alongside their positive ‘supporting’ actions. This is over three times the number only taking helpful actions that we know support mental health (19%.)
Mark Rowland continued:
“While harmful coping mechanisms are far too widespread, especially among young people, the good news is that many people in the UK are also taking actions that can improve their mental health. Connecting with nature, spending time with others, doing things we love, and getting moving are all great ways to keep our mood positive and address anxieties and stress. Encouraging people to drop the negative coping mechanisms, and instead only focus on those actions which improve mental health, is vital to tackling poor mental health in the capital.
“More action is needed across the country, from an individual to a political level, to create the conditions to support mental health. We are calling on the government to take bold action to respond to the mental health crisis and prevent poor mental health at a time when many people are feeling the strain from increasing uncertainty, financial pressures and increasing isolation. It is good news that especially during difficult times, people are finding ways to prioritise and protect their mental health and support those around them.”