Investigating inflation, living costs and mental health service utilization in post-COVID-19 England

Abstract

This study investigates the association between price inflation and mental health conditions in the general population during the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era in England, beginning from April 2022. Here, utilizing data from the Office for National Statistics and the National Health Service, we examined the association between price inflation, reflected by an official index ‘Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs’ and the number of people in contact with mental health services across different age groups. Our findings revealed that, compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (August 2016 to February 2020), significant associations emerged between specific living costs (including costs for ‘food and non-alcoholic beverages’, ‘housing, water and fuels’ and ‘miscellaneous goods and services’) and mental health service utilization during the post-COVID-19 era. This association was particularly noted for adults aged 19–64 years and the elderly population aged 65 years and over. The results highlight the importance of addressing the potential causes of mental health issues in the context of rising living costs and can inform targeted social and economic policies, such as financial subsidies for food and non-alcoholic beverages and the need to scale up mental health services. In this study, the authors investigate the association between price inflation and mental health service uptake in the United Kingdom, demonstrating that increasing costs of living exacerbate mental health needs, particularly among adults and older populations.