Research from investment, protection and retirement specialist LV= reveals that many people are prioritising their mental wellbeing this World Mental Health Day.

The LV= Wealth and Wellbeing Research Programme* - a long-term quarterly survey of 4,000 UK adults – highlights attitudes towards the public’s financial and mental wellbeing. It reveals that:

• 23% of UK adults are worried that they will experience a mental health issue in the next five years, requiring weeks or months off work. This rises to 25% for women.
• 17% were worried about having mental health issues in the next five years and having to wait for the NHS to provide counselling or treatment.
• 37% said that they felt exhausted during the last three months.
• 18-34 year olds were the age group most worried about having to wait for mental health support.

Since the Wealth and Wellbeing Research Programme started three years ago, there has been a marked shift in financial goals as many people have chosen to adjust their priorities compared to 2020. Our latest findings outlined key long-term trends across this period:

• UK adults are feeling more exhausted compared to three years ago (26% vs 37%).
• 44% of all UK adults say they are putting more focus on their mental wellbeing than three years ago, with 18-34 year olds most likely to have become more focused on this (58%)
• A fifth (20%) of those aged 35-54 said that they have put less focus on their career. 
• 10% of respondents said they or a family member had experienced delays to medical treatment or diagnosis, likely reflecting the increase in NHS waiting times since 2020. 

Almost one quarter of British adults are lonely

Loneliness spiked during the Covid-19 lockdown with around one third of people feeling affected in March 2021. Since then, self-reported figures have dropped to a steady 23%, suggesting that the UK has an ongoing issue with social isolation.