Majority of disabled people suffering chronic loneliness during lockdown
A charity is warning of a mental health crisis
Nearly two-thirds of disabled people are experiencing chronic loneliness during lockdown, a new study has found.
The number is even higher among young disabled people - 70%, according to research by disability charity Sense.
It has sparked fears of a mental health crisis facing the population of 14.1 million disabled people living in the UK, after the charity said cases of loneliness has jumped by a quarter in the last year for those who were already disproportionately affected by the issue prior to the coronavirus outbreak.
Of the 1,011 disabled people surveyed between the January 20-22 this year, 37% said they were chronically lonely before the pandemic, rising to 54% for 16 to 24-year-olds.
Nearly two-thirds - 61% - of disabled people said they were now chronically lonely, after they described feeling lonely always'' oroften''.
The charity said feelings of chronic loneliness go on for a long period of time'', whereby people sufferconstant and unrelenting feelings of being alone, separated or divided from others, and an inability to connect on a deeper level''.
Bethany Fanthom is from Halesowen and is deafblind.
She said: "I was very scared and it was a shock to the system how much things had changed.
"I didn't understand the changes of how strict it was.
"I found it very hard not to see my family or friends and didn't know what to do with myself so my mental health did detoriate.
"My loneliness did get worse throughout the lockdown period."
The study found a third of disabled people had less than an hour of interaction with someone else each day.
Some 70% said social isolation affected their mental health and wellbeing, while 40% said it impacted their physical health.
Around 35% said they believed the Government should prioritise tackling mental health issues caused by the pandemic, over the NHS (32%), economy (22%), and education (8%), once the vaccination rollout is complete.
Richard Kramer, chief executive of Sense, said: Throughout the pandemic the needs of disabled people have been overlooked, and they have often felt forgotten.
The government must recognise the severe impact the pandemic is having on disabled people and improve the support available, so they are not left isolated and cut off from society.''
Sense is encouraging the public to sign its pledge calling for more investment in services to tackle loneliness and offer mental health support for disabled people.
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