The Cost-of-Living Impact on Mental Health

Keith Prance from Rehab Recovery shares their infographic showing the negative impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

WORDS Keith Prance

The UK is currently struggling with the highest rates of inflation in over 40 years. This has caused the rise in cost of essentials, such as food shopping, fuel costs, electricity and energy, known as the cost-of-living crisis and has mostly been driven by the increase wholesale gas prices¹.

Due to this, many individuals have experienced the development or worsening of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, and further issues such as addiction.

Individuals, who may already be struggling with alcohol abuse and/or misuse, may find that this has worsened during the cost-of-living crisis. Often individuals turn to alcohol to ease or manage everyday issues and, with the cost-of-living crisis, it can become overwhelming, often leading to increased consumption.

According to a 2007 study, alcohol addictions are commonly associated with mental health issues, leading to the development of these issues as well as affecting the mental health of those around them². Although alcohol addictions may typically be viewed more negatively than other mental health issues, it does not mean that they are any less important³. In fact, individuals struggling with alcohol addictions may require specialist care⁴.

The cost-of-living crisis has affected us all and, whether you earn a lot or earn a little, you will without a doubt be feeling the pinch right now. We are paying more than ever for our basics necessities, including our food and our heating, and there is an increase in pressure to earn more money and save money where we can. In fact, in a survey carried out by the Yorkshire Building Society (YBS), 67% of UK adults have admitted to feeling worried about how the current cost-of-living crisis has impacted their mental health and are worried about what this could mean for their future⁵, with 47% of respondents at Revolution Foundation saying they are already suffering from poor mental health⁶.

Moreover, a recent study carried out by the Resolution Foundation and YBS found that the current cost of living crisis has now put an estimated 1.3M people living in the UK below the poverty line. As this continues, with more people living below the poverty line, it will have a ripple effect through our society and communities, adding more pressure on our hospitals and mental health services.

This is shown in the infographic below, providing us with more information on the links between poverty, the cost-of-living crisis and mental health.

REFERENCES

[1] Institute for Government, Cost of living crisis, 17 August 2022: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/cost-living-crisis

[2] Dawson, D.A., Grant, B.F., Chou, S.P. and Stinson, F.S., 2007. The impact of partner alcohol problems on women’s physical and mental health. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 68(1), pp.66-75

[3] See more at alcohol rehab page for more information.

[4] Hill, J.V. and Leeming, D., 2014. Reconstructing ‘the alcoholic’: recovering from alcohol addiction and the stigma this entails. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 12(6), pp.759-771

[5] https://www.ybs.co.uk/w/media-centre/cost-of-living-impacting-mental-health

[6] https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/press-releases/cost-of-living-gap-between-rich-and-poor-hits-fresh-high-as-effective-inflation-rate-for-low-income-households-hits-12-5-per-cent/