New research by Surrey charity reveals impact of coronavirus lockdown
The majority of those surveyed said they feel more socially isolated
A Guildford-based charity has found the coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the lives of nearly everyone they support.
The Surrey Care Trust's research was based on a sample of 79 clients, including young people aged 12 and above, families and vulnerable adults.
It showed that while a minority of the people they support believe they have had COVID-19, 97 per cent report the pandemic has had a negative impact on them.
The trust said the findings demonstrate "how acutely the effect of the lockdown has affected people in Surrey who are already disadvantaged in some way".
Surrey Care Trust’s research found that:
1) 85 per cent of the charity's beneficiaries are more anxious
2) 40 per cent are already struggling financially and/or have seen a change to their employment status
3) Half are experiencing more family conflict at home
4) 80 per cent are feeling more socially isolated
5) 83 per cent of young people miss going to school.
Young people told Surrey Care Trust they mainly miss the social element of school, with 84 per cent reporting they feel socially isolated.
Others said they missed the structure and routine that school brings to the day.
Over three quarters of the adults who reported feeling more anxious said they were specifically worried about the future, with concerns about their children’s education and also about their employment or finances.
Rachel Perez-Lofty, senior fundraiser at Surrey Care Trust, told GHR Surrey and East Hampshire:
"We knew that our clients would be some of the most affected by the lockdown, but we didn't know exactly how they would be affected or how badly.
"We wanted to know the true impact to inform our services and make sure that the people got the help that they need and the type the need at the right time.
"Those findings didn't surprise us.
"We kind of suspected people's mental health would be the most affected.
"That and people's family relationships, so if they were already strained our biggest fear was what was going to happen during lockdown and unfortunately that has been realised.
"As we started to move out of lockdown and into this unknown future, perhaps the greatest impact we're now seeing is fear.
"There's a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety about the future, their jobs, their opportunities, relationships.
"Fear around their health and all the prospects that are ahead of them."