‘During lockdown, taking a break from the outside world has been the rule we’ve had to follow so we can’t be blamed or shamed for keeping to ourselves when we are in fact doing our duty to protect each other and the NHS.’ ‘Often it’s interactions with the outside world that trigger anxiety and stress,’ he says. Toby Ingham, a psychotherapist based near Oxford, agrees. But in lockdown, you can filter away from all that. ‘When you’re in a state of depression any contact with people can be stressful for some. People are seen in Trafalgar Sqaure, London in May 2020 Known as ‘lockdown relief’, it appears for some people an enforced break from normal routine and stresses has been a help. ‘But for some people, the lack of contact has meant they don’t feel as stressed and exposed to those aspects of ordinary life that the rest of us take for granted but which affect their situation. ‘As humans we usually thrive on social connection for our mental health and sense of wellbeing,’ says Dr Natasha Bijlani, a consultant psychiatrist at The Priory clinic in Roehampton. While this could reflect reduced access to mental health services, the researchers said they couldn’t rule out that rates of mental illness were lower. Known as ‘lockdown relief’, it appears for some people an enforced break from normal routine and stresses has been a help.Ī study by Manchester University on the number of people seeking mental health help for the first time found that during the first lockdown, the figures for depression dropped by 43 per cent, and for anxiety by 48 per cent, compared with similar periods over the previous ten years. Lockdown has had a catastrophic impact on so many aspects of our lives, not least in terms of mental health