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UK Experts Warn Easing COVID-19 Lockdown Could Cause Anxiety

by Anjanee Sharma on Mar 15 2021 6:17 PM

UK Experts Warn Easing COVID-19 Lockdown Could Cause Anxiety
Mental health experts from the UK warn that the easing of COVID-19 lockdown and the following return to workplaces, schools, and social events could trigger anxiety and stress for many people.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson //announced his "roadmap" to exit the lockdown on February 22. He announced that the first step of the four-part plan was to reopen schools in England from March 8. Further, the plan is to remove all legal restrictions in England by mid-June. Wales and Scotland have also revealed their plans to ease the restrictions.

However, mental health experts warn that Britain is "still not out of the woods” due to new variants' concerns and the risk of breaching restriction rules. They state that those with existing mental health issues will be particularly anxious about the readjustment of life coming with lifting restrictions.

Tine Van Bortel, senior research associate, said, "Lockdown has given people with mental health conditions like anxiety and PTSD permission to stay at home, and knowing that at some point you'll have to go out again can actually trigger stress and anxiety."

Rosie Weatherley, information content manager at Mind, said, "Some of us might have found there were some unexpected plus points to lockdown, and therefore feel uneasy or anxious at the prospect of it being lifted. For example, we may be worried about 'normality' resuming, or not wanting to return to a faster pace with busier daily lives, and less downtime to ourselves."

She adds that it is essential for the government and employers to provide empathy and support for those who need it after the lockdown is lifted.



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Source-Medindia


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