What’s the true cost of lockdown?

Mental health has always been the pauper when it came to medical provision and its sufferers long stigmatised. Some well-meaning campaigns have been undertaken in recent years to break taboos and stereotypes and help alleviate the suffering of those with mental health conditions. But the fallout from coronavirus and the climate of fear which continues to trouble so many people has almost certainly undone much of this work.

Many people are – whether they are at a high risk of falling seriously ill from coronavirus or not – still terrified. People are afraid of venturing back into the outside world. Those who do keep their distance from others. Masks are everywhere, and are compulsory on public transport. The result is a reminder that this ‘new normal’ is utterly unlike what we are used to. Even to those who don’t suffer from mental health problems it’s a depressing and dispiriting sight.