MORE THAN half of West Midlands residents are using unhealthy coping mechanisms “stressed, anxious, or low.”
According to data released by the Mental Health Foundation for Mental Health Awareness Week, 54 per cent of adults have taken harmful actions to cope with poor mental health in the past month.
A significant proportion of the region’s population report spending more time alone or avoiding seeing people or spending more time on social media or online as a way to cope with anxiety, stress and low mood, despite a strong body of evidence which suggests these actions can be harmful to individuals.
Other harmful actions that a significant number said they had done to cope with their mental health included overeating or comfort eating and oversleeping or not getting out of bed – increasingly referred to by some as “bed rotting.”
The poll of more than 4,000 adults across the UK, carried out by Opinium on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation looked into the public attitudes and behaviours around taking action for good mental health, including both the positive and negative actions people are using to address or cope with mental health problems.
Mark Rowland, chief executive at the Mental Health Foundation said: “Despite the progress in increasing awareness around mental health, too many people in the West Midlands have yet to translate awareness into effective action.
“To address the West Midlands’ mental health crisis, people must be equipped with the skills and understanding of which actions improve our mental health, and to know which actions may feel good in the short term but worsen our mental health over time.
“Behaviours like self-isolation, doomscrolling, and bed-rotting are not only potentially harmful in themselves, but they can also cut us off from the positive influences on our mental health, like community and connection to nature.”
The polling also showed nearly three quarters of people in the West Midlands are taking helpful actions that can reduce the risk of poor mental health.
It noted that 73 per cent of people had taken at least one helpful action to support their mental health, with the most popular being doing physical activity, spending time outdoors or in nature, and prioritising sleep and rest.
Mark Rowland continued: “Encouraging people to drop the negative coping mechanisms, and instead only focus on those actions which improve mental health, is vital to tackling poor mental health in the UK.
“More action is needed across the country, from an individual to a political level, to create the conditions to support mental health.
“We are calling on the government to take bold action to respond to the mental health crisis and prevent poor mental health at a time when many people are feeling the strain from increasing uncertainty, financial pressures and increasing isolation.
“It is good news that especially during difficult times, people are finding ways to prioritise and protect their mental health and support those around them.”