Depression Levels Doubled in Britain as Pandemic Swept Country

(Bloomberg) -- The percentage of people suffering with depression in Great Britain has doubled since the coronavirus forced a lockdown of the country in March.

Almost one in five adults were likely to be experiencing depression in June compared with before the pandemic, with one in three young adults suffering moderate to severe symptoms, according to a study by the Office for National Statistics.

“Adults who were young, female, unable to afford an unexpected expense or disabled were the most likely to experience some form of depression during the pandemic,” Tim Vizard, principal research officer at the ONS, said in a statement.

The figures highlight the additional toll the pandemic has taken on the U.K., which has the highest death count in Europe. Britain had one of the longest lockdowns in the region as the government struggled to control the pandemic. Figures released by the ONS Tuesday showed deaths in the week ended August 7 fell 21% to 152 compared with a week earlier.

There is evidence that the disease has disproportionately affected individuals from ethnic minorities and those in one-person households, the ONS said in a separate report.

• Individuals identifying as Asian or Asian British were 4.8 times more likely to test positive than White individuals
• A higher percentage of those in patient-facing health care roles or resident-facing social care roles tested positive for antibodies, indicating past infection, than individuals not working in these roles
• Those employed at the time of the survey showed the sharpest rise in depressive symptoms, while those out of work showed similar levels to before the pandemic

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.