TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - The social underpinnings of mental distress in the time of COVID-19 - time for urgent action
JO  - Wellcome open research
A1  - Rose, Nikolas
A1  - Manning, Nick
A1  - Bentall, Richard
A1  - Bhui, Kamaldeep
A1  - Burgess, Rochelle
A1  - Carr, Sarah
A1  - Cornish, Flora
A1  - Devakumar, Delan
A1  - Dowd, Jennifer B.
A1  - Ecks, Stefan
A1  - Faulkner, Alison
A1  - Ruck Keene, Alex
A1  - Kirkbride, James
A1  - Knapp, Martin
A1  - Lovell, Anne M.
A1  - Martin, Paul
A1  - Moncrieff, Joanna
A1  - Parr, Hester
A1  - Pickersgill, Martyn
A1  - Richardson, Genevra
A1  - Sheard, Sally
SP  - e166
EP  - e166
VL  - 5
IS  - 
N2  - We argue that predictions of a 'tsunami' of mental health problems as a consequence of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the lockdown are overstated; feelings of anxiety and sadness are entirely normal reactions to difficult circumstances, not symptoms of poor mental health.  Some people will need specialised mental health support, especially those already leading tough lives; we need immediate reversal of years of underfunding of community mental health services.  However, the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on the most disadvantaged, especially BAME people placed at risk by their social and economic conditions, were entirely predictable. Mental health is best ensured by urgently rebuilding the social and economic supports stripped away over the last decade. Governments must pump funds into local authorities to rebuild community services, peer support, mutual aid and local community and voluntary sector organisations.  Health care organisations must tackle racism and discrimination to ensure genuine equal access to universal health care.  Government must replace highly conditional benefit systems by something like a universal basic income. All economic and social policies must be subjected to a legally binding mental health audit. This may sound unfeasibly expensive, but the social and economic costs, not to mention the costs in personal and community suffering, though often invisible, are far greater.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2398-502X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16123.1
ID  - ref1
ER  -