When people talk about the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us think about the most obvious effects – the number of people infected and dying, the jobs lost and salaries reduced, and that holiday we have had to postpone. We complain about the fact that we cannot meet family and friends, and how going out for a drink or a cup of coffee has become something of the past.

Perhaps not many of us are thinking about another major effect of this pandemic – the effect it is having on the nation’s mental health.

A recent survey commissioned by the Richmond Foundation has shed light on the extent of this problem.

Many have reported feeling depressed and lonely during this time of social distancing and staying inside. “The constant feeling of threat can have a disruptive effect on our psychological response to ordinary interactions, leading us to behave in new and unexpected ways,” the survey, carried out by Esprimi notes.

1 out of 100 respondents said they thought of self-harm or suicide, 47% reported feeling depressed most of the time and 48% reported feeling a sense of apathy. Students and unemployed people were among the highest groups of individuals who reported having feelings of self-harm and or suicide.

The survey also found that people on the frontline of the crisis, particularly those employed in healthcare, public safety, national security and food and necessary goods were amongst those that reported feeling the most fearful.

Besides the effects caused by the fears of the virus itself, there are other factors at play, brought about by the new situation where most of us are staying inside all the time.

The Richmond Foundation says it has received a number of calls from people complaining about the noise coming from neighbouring construction sites, and how it is causing them great distress.

While measures have been taken to reduce construction times, even a couple of hours of jigging and demolition can upset you if you live close to a work site and you’re stuck inside all day long.

And we’re not only talking about big construction projects here. It could be your neighbours who are doing some DIY work at home seeing that they have more time on their hands now.

We have received reports of people who have had to endure the incessant noise of hammering and power tools – Monday to Sunday – and they could do nothing about it.

There are a number of tools at our disposal, including the 1770 helpline, which was recently set up to help people experiencing mental health problems in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, it seems that many people do not make use of such services. Some people might feel too ashamed, too macho to talk openly about their mental health.

They should not. Mental health is as important as our physical health and keeping our emotions bottled up inside will only make things worse.

It is very important for people to acknowledge that they need help and seek it. It is equally important for those of us who are creating unnecessary stress to be more mindful of their actions and of the effects these have on the mental health of others.

If we don’t do this right, the effects on our mental health might far outweigh the economic and physical health problems by the time this crisis is over.