The festive season can be a joyful time of the year but for many suffering with mental health issues, it can also be the hardest.

And this year, the coronavirus pandemic has made for an extremely challenging and worrying time for everyone – from parents juggling work and home schooling for a large part of the year, to those who have lost their jobs, homes and livelihoods, and for the many tens of thousands of people who have lost loved ones.

So it is no wonder mental health issues have rocketed, especially during the two lockdown periods.

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The Mental Health Foundation is leading a study on how the pandemic is affecting people's mental health across the UK.

It found in late November that similar proportions of people were struggling with their mental health compared to those of late August.

Almost half (45 per cent) of the UK population had felt anxious or worried in the previous two weeks, which rose to 64 per cent in respondents who had a pre-existing mental health condition, the charity said.

The proportion of people who had experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings in the previous two weeks had slightly increased from 10 per cent to 13 per cent. Figures were highest for people aged 18-24 (24 per cent), according to the charity.

And in a previous survey by mental health charity Mind, more than half (60 per cent) of adults and two-thirds (68 per cent) of young people said their mental health got worse during the first period of lockdown restrictions, from early April to mid-May.

Deputy clinical lead and cognitive behavioural therapist (CBT) for Healthy Minds, Josef Landsberg, spoke to the Bucks Free Press about the festive season and how it impacts people’s mental health, especially with the challenges of this year.

He said: “Usually we see a bit of suppression in referrals to mental health services over the Christmas period.

“That might be because of a number of different reasons – I can only speculate. It could be being distracted by all the planning or being busy with other things.

“Putting this year aside, there are loads of reasons why people might feel stressed over Christmas – financial burdens, being put into awkward social situations that people could otherwise avoid, meeting up with family members they might not want to meet, work pressures over that period especially for people who have social anxiety – so a lot of triggers happen over Christmas.

“People are also less likely to go and visit their GP so the opportunity to identify and name it as a mental health problem doesn’t always exist over the festive period.”

He said thinking about lost loved ones or failed relationships are also triggers over the holidays, adding that the service sees a spike in referrals in the New Year when more people “feel like they need to do something about it”.

Mr Landsberg said social isolation can be another trigger for people who access the service because of low mood, and financial pressures over Christmas can cause significant stress and anxiety in patients.

He said: “With unemployment being so high now, we have certainly seen an increase in financial pressures and burdens on people who use our service, and the stress and anxiety that can cause.

“We do have employment advisers to help with that side of things. Fortunately, we work alongside the employment adviser to provide a comprehensive package of care.

“Maybe excessive spending over Christmas or the job uncertainties people are facing at the moment are contributing to that.”

He said the service saw a “big drop” in referrals during the first lockdown, with figures from Mind indicating one in three adults and one in four young people surveyed did not access support during the first lockdown because they did not think they deserved support.

Mr Landsberg said: “Slowly but surely we’ve recovered and the NHS has made mental health a top priority during this period in the expansion of IAPT services.

“Looking at why and the sources of our referrals, there has mainly been a big drop in referrals from GPs so it may be that people can’t see their GP or the GP is not able to pick up on mental health triggers because of things like remote consultations.

“It’s important to remember that people can self-refer to our service, they don’t need to go through a GP or professional.

“A lot of people have got this stiff upper lip mentality of rolling with the punches and not making a fuss.”

“There’s also the risk of over-normalising and preventing you from accessing help. A good way to distinguish that is all of us have ups and downs, but the difference with depression and anxiety is you can normalise it until you’re blue in the face but that low feeling or anxiety is still there.

“That’s a real warning sign. If normalising it doesn’t work, try something else and get help for it.”

He added: “Depression and anxiety are not death sentences, there is help out there and you don’t have to suffer in silence.

“It’s uncontrollable and difficult to manage but that’s why services like ours exist – to help people to take steps to better mental health.”

Here are some tips from Bucks Mind to help cope with mental health issues over the festive period and beyond:

  • It's ok to prioritise what's best for you, even if others don't seem to understand
  • Think about what you need and how you might be able to get it
  • Consider talking to someone you trust about what you need to cope
  • If you're going to be somewhere unfamiliar for Christmas, or another holiday, think about what you need to help you cope. Are there things you can bring to make you feel more comfortable? Or is there somewhere you can go to take a break?
  • Make a list of any services that you might want to access and their opening hours
  • If you're worried about feeling lonely or isolated over the holidays, make a list of some activities to help pass the time.
  • Remind yourself that Christmas, and other holidays, won't last forever
  • Set your boundaries
  • Let yourself experience your own feelings
  • Take time out when you need to
  • If you can't avoid something difficult, plan something for yourself afterwards to help reduce the stress or distress you might feel

You can self-refer to Healthy Minds by visiting www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/healthyminds or calling 01865 901600.

You can also find contacts for Bucks Mind at www.bucksmind.org.uk, or contact the Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, on 116 123.