Running hot: the impact of the pandemic on mental health services (21 February 2021)

Summary

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people’s mental health, and the knock-on effect is putting services and organisations under considerable pressure. In this briefing for the NHS Confederation, Paula Lavis outlines the case for change in mental health services and makes recommendations on how to address the increasing post-pandemic demand.

The briefing covers the following areas:

• Increased severity of mental health problems linked to the pandemic
• The wider social context
• The case for change: Prevention and easy access to mental health support, Funding, Workforce
• Viewpoint and recommendations