ARU Final Report

Full Report – May 2021 21 4.3 Anxiety and low mood In our study the young people were asked “Before the pandemic started did you regularly feel sad, upset or anxious?” and eleven answered ‘yes’. They were then asked if they had anybody to talk to when they felt this way. Most said they spoke to family members and friends while others spoke to staff from their accommodation, social services, or mental health services: I have my mum and I write in a journal which is like a diary. I speak to my friends at XXX and speak to them on the phone or text. I have Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat this really helps. I normally talk to staff about it. It is helpful because I can get angry. I usually talk to my psychologist on a Thursday. I talk to her about everything. Spokewith my Mum – livingwith her in the family home and my counsellor who I spoke with over the telephone. I spoke to the staff and XXX and I was given a counsellor to speak to. I think my social worker sorted it out. I speak to my mum and dad a lot. I had phone calls and regular support from PA, [charities], and a therapist. This was definitely helpful and helped me manage my feelings. [My PA] helped me access the GP and get anti- depressants. My social worker, I used to ring her five times a day. But she was the only one who helped me. Apart from that, I had no help from anywhere. My leaving care worker was there to talk to, as were the staff and my keyworker at my supported accommodation. Yes it was helpful to unload. I phoned or made appointments to access the support. I spoke with my leaving care worker and my friends and grandparents. I rang or texted my leaving care worker and spoke to my grandparents at home. One young person said they did not speak to anybody about how they were feeling, while another stated: I didn’t manage my feelings well and was struggling with my drug use and mental health before the pandemic, the pandemic made me feel even more anxious and I didn’t talk about how I was feeling very easily. Thirteen young people with disabilities said they had felt sad, upset or anxious since the pandemic began. Many had mixed emotions ranging from boredom to anxiety and many also missed seeing their friends at school or college or regularly seeing their family: …sometimes happy and sometimes sad because I have not seen all my friends at school. I haven’t been sad but I was a bit frustrated at first. I have talked to my mam and dad, my speech and language therapist at school and somebody I trust, in school. Anxious and stressed. I was just bored because of the imposed restrictions during the pandemic but I didn’t feel any of the emotions described above. In their online survey with parents and carers of disabled children and young people, The Disabled Children’s Partnership (2020) found that 30 per cent reported that the emotional and mental health of their child or young person with disabilities got a lot worse during lockdown, while 41 per cent reported it got a little worse. Indeed, the same picture is shown internationally; an American survey conducted by Kamenetz (2020) shows that 40 per cent of parents reported concern about the mental