University staff are being encouraged to talk about their experiences of the cost-of-living crisis and its impact on their mental health. Scientists from the school of Psychology are surveying colleagues about the pressures of rising prices and its effect on anxiety and depression. The research team would like people to take part whether they are worried about money or mental health or not.
The survey can be completed here and is open to anyone aged 18 and older, said project co-lead Dr Thomas Richardson, an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology.
He said: “We know that financial difficulties can really impact mental health and vice versa. We hope this study will work out the impact of the cost-of-living crisis locally and help us better support the financial and mental health of people in our community.”
The survey has been opened initially to University staff – and will be made available later this year to anyone living in the Dorset and Hampshire region, including Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight.
The project team will be working with nearby mental health and financial advice charities and organisations to identify current trends and find solutions to help more people access support.
“People may feel nervous to talk about debt and mental health but it is only by hearing about their experiences that we can identify how best to help people with their mental health,” added Dr Dianna Smith, Associate Professor of Health Geography at the University.
“We know from our previous work that people are turning to food banks and charities for advice and help. We need to connect to organisations in the region to give us a more complete picture of the impact of higher living costs on people’s lives and health – and perhaps with that evidence we can better support councils, charities and the government to help those people in need.”
The study has been funded the National Institute of Health Research’s applied research collaboration in Wessex to improve the life and health of communities in the region.
Complete the survey at tinyurl.com/UoSmybills – or for more information email the project team at [email protected].
ERGO number 82095