Coronavirus: is loneliness a hidden lockdown killer?
Suicides and attempted suicides appearing to be increasing, police warn
A man whose grandfather killed himself following weeks under lockdown is urging people to “pick up the phone to your parents, grandparents and friends”.
In a tribute posted to facebook, James Parnaby said the death of 82-year-old Dennis Ward was one of the “hidden effects of coronavirus”.
Ward was found dead at his Birmingham home last week by his wife, Valerie, who said he had never had issues with his mental health before, reports The Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
She added that her husband, a father of two and grandfather of three, “was someone who would go out every single day and always looked forward to seeing his family. The impact of this lockdown became too much for him.”
Ward’s death comes weeks after the Police Federation warned of “early indications” of a rise in suicides during lockdown.
Experts believe loneliness is a major factor in the increase in the number of people taking their own lives.
“Loneliness is a subjective experience, so it’s not always obvious to us,” Pamela Qualter, a University of Manchester professor of psychology, told The Guardian. “There are some people who are currently isolated who will not get lonely and there are others who will really struggle.”
The problem of loneliness has long been in danger of becoming a “plague”, says Time. Now, “its intersection with another pandemic - Covid-19 - is creating widespread alarm”, the magazine continues.
The extent of the danger was not immediately apparent, however.
Initially, the coronavirus outbreak and resulting lockdown “acted as a social catalyst, with an upsurge in the number of people checking in on their neighbours”, says Ian Hamilton, a lecturer at York University’s Department of Health Science, in an article for The Independent.
But this camaraderie gradually slipped. Two-thirds of people quizzed in a survey at the start of the quarantine said they had checked in on their neighbours, yet “this has fallen to just 52%”, Hamilton writes.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
For some people, a lack of real-world interaction has been mitigated by digital communication, with online tools allowing them to “reach out to more people than they ever did before”, says the BBC.
But technology alone is not the solution, says Professor Rory O’Connor of the University of Glasgow.
O’Connor, who conducts research on suicide, told The Guardian that “people are reporting elevated levels of anxiety, depression and stress. That’s why it’s so urgent that we identify who is vulnerable so we can put measures in place.”
For York University lecturer Hamilton, one vital measure to tackle the loneliness crisis is to create a more cohesive society. Yet “we are already returning to our old ways of looking out for number one”, he warns.
Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. Information on other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The hollow classroom
Opinion Remote school let kids down. It will take much more than extra tutoring for kids to recover.
By Mark Gimein Published
-
What's behind rise in duo euthanasia?
Under The Radar The 'saddest deaths of all' have stirred controversy in the Netherlands
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The dangerous search for bodies in the River Thames
The Explainer Retrieving corpses is difficult due to 'massive' tidal range and fast current of deep, dark water
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Excess screen time is making children only see what is in front of them
Under the radar The future is looking blurry. And very nearsighted.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Covid-19: what to know about UK's new Juno and Pirola variants
in depth Rapidly spreading new JN.1 strain is 'yet another reminder that the pandemic is far from over'
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Long-term respiratory illness is here to stay
The Explainer Covid is not the only disease with a long version
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published