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Cost of Living Impact on Mental Health and Support

Keith from Rehab Recovery, a website he founded himself, to help bring together people who’ve been affected by addiction and mental health issues, shared this with us: 
 
Many of our members have been negatively impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, and we can’t really see many publications talking about the mental health aspect of the crisis.
 
To remedy this, we created an infographic on the topic, which you can
view here:
tions-mental-health/

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that Brits are very anxious about the cost-of-living crisis. However, most people want to know the exact figures, so we have created this infographic to show exactly how anxious we all are, and which groups are more anxious than others.

When we look at the figures for disabled people, 35% are very worried about the situation, 47% are somewhat worried, and only 12% are neither worried or unworried.

However, regarding non-disabled people, 19% are very worried, 51% are somewhat worried, and 21% are neither worried or unworried.

One reason disabled people may be more worried is that it is more important for them to live comfortably, as they risk severe health problems if they do not.

For example, they need to be able to afford their energy bills so that they can enjoy warm water, and heat their homes. Unfortunately, two in five disabled people are unable to heat their homes currently (1). (See below for support). 

We know that many disabled people take comfort in having pets. 41% of disabled people have depression, and pets are known to relieve stress and boost the mood of the owner (2).

Thus, it is worrying to know that one in ten Brits is considering giving up their pet due to financial hardship during the cost-of-living crisis. 18% are getting into debt as a result of pet care costs, and an astonishing 25% of people are avoiding the vets as they cannot afford to pay for treatment (3). (See below for support and also https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/care/financial). 

It is not just disabled people who are struggling at the moment. Some other groups that are dealing with anxiety about their finances include: parents, women, and divorced people [4].

Read our infographic to find out more: 

Cost of living information

References

[1] Two in five disabled people unable to heat their homes this winter https://www.learningdisabilitytoday.co.uk/two-in-five-disabled-people-unable-to-heat-their-homes-this-winter

[2] The Benefits of Disabled People Owning a Pet https://www.tenura.co.uk/the-benefits-of-disabled-people-owning-a-pet

[3] One in 10 considering giving up pets over cost-of-living pressures https://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/news/national/23255360.one-10-considering-giving-pets-cost-of-living-pressures/

[4] For more, see alcohol rehab Suffolk

Suffolk County Council Cost of living support leaflet page 1
Suffolk County Council Cost of living support leaflet pages 2-3
Suffolk County Council Cost of living support leaflet page 4

You may also be interested in: 

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and 

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A to Z of Parenting

You can contact us or email us with your parenting questions at info@sharingparenting.com 

We have done our best to collate this information for you but because of the changing climate cannot guarantee the telephone numbers above are the most up to date. If you notice an error please contact us.

Thank you and stay safe.