Better Health For All

The recent guidance published by the UK Government on mental health and wellbeing during Covid-19 was a welcome addition to the various guidance and resources provided to support us to manage the pandemic.

There is no public health without public mental health, and communicable disease control is no exception.

Direct impacts of the virus through illness, loss of loved ones, and anxiety around contagion are mixed with the effects of control measures – self-isolation, social distancing, and changes in social and material circumstances can all have a detrimental effect on mental health and wellbeing and also have the potential to widen existing inequalities in mental health.

As public health professionals, our role is to manage the acute response to the virus and mitigate its short-term effects, and also to ensure that wider systems are in place to protect against collateral damage and support the ‘recovery and repair’ phase and beyond. From a public mental health perspective, this means providing advice and guidance on how to maintain wellbeing during the pandemic, ensuring access to further support when required (including maintaining access to services for those currently receiving care), and using the opportunity created by the pandemic to embed resilience and wellbeing at a population level over the longer term.

As well as limiting the harm directly caused by Covid-19, we need to be vigilant for where control measures may exacerbate existing adversity or place people at additional risk. Where someone’s home is not a place of safety, or when they do not have ready access to essentials such as food and medicine, social distancing and self-isolation may place them at greater risk of harm. In addition, now is a good time to consider information about the impact of stress and social isolation on harmful health behaviours (e.g. smoking, alcohol and substance use), mental health and even the immune response.  It may also be appropriate to examine the links between external stressors and the incidence of domestic violence and child abuse.

While much of the current focus is understandably on mitigating the harmful impacts of the virus, a number of unexpected positive impacts have emerged as a result of social distancing measures. Communities have mobilised to support those who are alone and vulnerable. Increases in remote working have led to improved air quality and better work-life balance. Innovative use of technology has widened access to events and the arts. Exercise has been reframed as an opportunity rather than a chore, with people keen to enjoy being outdoors. Sustaining improvements in social capital once the pandemic is over and harnessing these benefits in a way that includes everyone, particularly the most marginalised, is key to promoting cohesion and wellbeing in communities.

Because we are part of the populations we serve, and have the same challenges, worries and limitations this also means being a role model. Looking after our own wellbeing is something we often neglect particularly in times of crisis, but now it is especially important. While much of the world slows down, workload has increased for many working in public health, whether at home or in the office and whilst we may secretly want to be, we are not superheroes. We are parents, carers, spouses, friends. Some of us may be vulnerable or even extremely vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19, or have loved ones that are. And just like anyone else, we can be scared, anxious, exhausted and overwhelmed.

Our own health and wellbeing is vital to being able to give the best service we can, and so taking our own advice becomes as much a matter of good public health practice as one of individual necessity. Those of us with management responsibility also have a duty of care to our teams, and to ensure that we model good practice as well as support them to stay well and healthy at work.

The Public Mental Health SIG is collating information and resources on maintaining and enhancing mental wellbeing and on mental health more generally, in times of Covid-19, which can be found here.

This addresses the wealth of evidence and good practice currently available to support and improve population mental wellbeing, which can be drawn on in relation to both the acute response and the legacy impact of Covid-19.

While the ‘normal’ we go back to may look quite different to the one we left behind, we know what works – the challenge will be in how we apply that knowledge to take care of ourselves and others.

Written by Lina Martino, Chair of FPH’s Public Mental Health SIG

With thanks to Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown (Professor of Public Health, Warwick University) and Dr Vaishnavee Madden (Consultant in Public Health, Ealing Council)