For quite some time, the media has been disseminating a lot of panic news about the cost of living crisis. However some individuals feel that if you survived the last world recession that kickstarted in 2008 you will have more than enough training, knowledge and skills to face this one too…and that is the “British Bulldog” spirit for you!
True, in the last decade the cost of living was already a pressing issue pushing individuals to the brink and destroying frail communities and family harmony with rising unemployment, bankrupt businesses, marriages breaking down, widespread poverty, rise in food prices, domestic violence and back then there were not so many food banks around.
The only difference is that presently it is not only the economic and social uncertainty affecting British life, but also political. Altogether the toxic combination of these elements affects national stability, future prospects of trade and foreign investment. If Londoners already felt the damage caused to their mental health during the worst bit of the global pandemic, whatever is left of their own sanity will be put at the test in this incoming Winter.
As I write this, plenty of medical doctors are reporting a serious hike in mental health issues felt by their patients due to the unbearable costs of living crisis. Just to give you a general idea of how bad this issue is, in 2021 mental health referrals within the NHS reached records levels of 4.3 million. To make things even worse there are currently 1.4 million people still on a waiting list to start treatment.
These tragic figures cannot be underestimated and now prompt me to ask: how do all these people cope in the meanwhile, specially if they feel suicidal? I guess this is where the charity sector kicks in to fill the void left by state services but are they fully equipped to deal with such needs from vulnerable individuals? I am not too sure myself because their role is to complement the official channels not substitute them.
In case you are wondering, let me inform you that a recent poll by YouGov commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians highlighted that roughly 55% of Brits believed that their health had been negatively affected by the spiralling cost of living. Let’s be honest, how can anybody sleep at night not knowing if they will keep the roof over their head, keep the kids warm or put food on the table?
On the other hand 84% of those surveyed were suffering under the rising cost of heating. If you add to this the worsening working conditions, hike in people quitting their jobs, strikes, fuel and food prices…it is quite a toxic combination, wouldn’t you agree?
As you will have seen from my “pre Corona times” public health campaign to promote social and health equity, poverty impacts mostly the general wellbeing (physical and mental health) of those on low income living in deprived areas cutting their lives short and accelerating death faster than the nation average.
Studies already exposed how poor working conditions and substandard living conditions affect the quality of life. These are unprecedented times, therefore the need to protect incomes, reduce household bills and avoid a greater public health crisis or something will have to give in to this unbearable pressure.
Bakasura Blog 