Keith Prance, founder of Rehab Recovery, has been talking about the effects of the current financial crisis on mental health and put together an infographic to help raise awareness and provide a better understanding.

Many different aspects of the cost-of-living crisis are worrying for people living in the UK. One of the main concerns we see is that housing is becoming too expensive for first-time buyers, rent is becoming increasingly unaffordable, and interest rates have skyrocketed (1).

In the infographic below, you will see that the housing situation of Brits significantly influences their feelings about the cost-of-living crisis. People who own their home outright are the least worried at this time (69%), while people with a loan are more worried (78%), and people who rent are the most worried (85%).

Evidently, the high cost of living, and in particular of renting or buying a home, is causing a huge amount of anxiety in people living in the UK. Renters were already much more likely to suffer from anxiety, and the current crisis is only exacerbating this issue (2).

Without a fair system for renting and buying, people cannot trust that they are going to have a secure future in this country, and this is incredibly anxiety-inducing (3). If these people do not get the help they need to stay afloat, they may isolate themselves, turn to drug or alcohol use, become depressed etc (4). Raising awareness of this issue and keeping an eye out for people who are struggling is a step in the right direction.

The idea that it is only young first-time buyers who are struggling with the housing crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis in general, is inaccurate. Our research found that 70% of over-70s are very or somewhat worried, and 82% of 30 – 49-year-olds. This shows us that no group is exempt from anxiety at this time.