Easier and faster access to mental health and wellness, along with help with energy, housing and food costs, is urgently needed to protect health and save lives.
That’s the opinion of Public Health Wales (PHW) following the publication of a new report highlighting the far-reaching negative effects of not being able to pay for essentials, such as food, rent or mortgage payments, heating and hot water, or transport. is having on mental and physical health.
The report found that over the past year, there has been a 69 per cent increase in the number of people experiencing food insecurity in Wales, and a 50 per cent increase in the number of people falling behind in paying a bill. .
One of the report’s recommendations concerns revenue-maximizing schemes, which would focus on providing targeted support on energy, housing, food costs and debt support.
A recent pilot in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg area saw more than 1,200 young people receive advice on maximizing their income and feeling more secure in managing money.
57 percent reported that they were less stressed or worried about their financial problems, and 70 percent felt more confident in dealing with financial worries.
Sumina Azam, public health consultant at Public Health Wales, said a “system-wide public health response” is needed to address the immediate effects the cost-of-living crisis is having.
“The cost of living crisis is more than a temporary economic contraction,” explained Sumina Azam.
“This is an urgent public health issue that will have a negative impact on the health and well-being of the Welsh population both now and in the future.
“A system-wide public health response is urgently needed, both to mitigate the immediate effects of the cost-of-living crisis and to address the underlying causes of poverty-driven health inequalities to create a healthier Wales. and egalitarian in the long run.
“All public bodies, the third sector and other organizations must work closely together to support and protect the health of the Welsh public.
“This report provides a framework for this response.”
The report also highlights the impact of poverty, with almost a quarter of Welsh people living in poverty in the last 10 years.
In 2020 it was 23 percent, with almost one in three children living in poverty (31 percent).
As Wales already has higher levels of poverty compared to the rest of the UK, its population is likely to be hit harder by the cost of living crisis, says PHW.
In July 2022, 30% of people in Wales reported that their current financial position was having a negative impact on their physical health and over 43% reported a negative effect on their mental health.
Fuel shortages in particular cause about one in three excess deaths during the winter. This is before the cost of living crisis took hold, with the expectation that more people will have to “give up a warm home” this winter.
As the crisis deepens, it will affect all living and working conditions and affect everyone in Wales, according to the report.
Over the past year, Wales has already seen the impacts of the cost of living crisis, including:
- 47 percent increase in people who have borrowed money
- 36 percent increase in people now only able to buy essentials
- 25 percent increase in people in temporary housing
- 38 percent increase in people sleeping outdoors
The report warns that the impact of the cost of living crisis will have a major impact on mental health, which in turn affects people’s physical health.
It describes mental health as a “primordial and pressing concern”, stating that poverty and worries about money are strongly related to anxiety and depression, and are a major risk factor for suicidal thoughts.
Mental health and well-being could be further damaged through a number of other mechanisms linked to the cost-of-living crisis, the report adds.
PHW has now called for an urgent response to the cost of living crisis that “mitigates the negative impacts on health and wellbeing, with “no one immune” from the cost of living crisis.
Manon Roberts, Senior Policy Officer at Public Health Wales, said: “A focus on health inequalities in policy making has the potential to reap vital benefits in the long term, as well as in the current crisis.
“Moving forward means thinking and planning for the long term and putting the evidence on how to address health inequalities into practice.
“Achieving this means rethinking the approach to decision-making in policy areas that shape the building blocks for a healthy life, such as employment, education, income, housing, environment, and community factors.
“The report also makes clear that the absolute priority must be giving every child the best start in life, ensuring their needs and rights are met, and recognizing that disadvantage can begin before birth and accumulate throughout life. life”.
The Welsh Public Health report can be read in full here.
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