To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we highlight a new study which finds that increases in a population’s mental wellbeing are associated with lower health and social care costs in the following year
Leslie, Mazumder et al, BMJ (16.03.21) ‘Artificial intelligence can help tackle the covid-19 pandemic, but bias and discrimination in its design and deployment risk exacerbating existing health inequity.’ Among the most damaging characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic has been its disproportionate effect on disadvantaged communities. As the outbreak has spread globally, factors such as systemic racism, marginalisation and structural inequality have created path dependencies that have led to poor health outcomes. These social determinants of infectious disease and vulnerability to disaster have converged to affect already disadvantaged communities with higher levels of...
Office for National Statistics (05.05.21) An analysis of the proportion of the British adult population experiencing some form of depression in early 2021, by age, sex and other characteristics. Includes comparisons with 2020 and pre-pandemic estimates. Main points Around 1 in 5 (21%) adults experienced some form of depression in early 2021 (27 January to 7 March); this is an increase since November 2020 (19%) and more than double that observed before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (10%). Around 1 in 3 (35%) adults who reported being unable to afford an unexpected expense...
While most people’s income was negatively affected by the pandemic, a close look at the evidence shows the biggest losers were those who were already worst-off. Analysis by Danny Dorling
