Rehab Recovery have designed an infographic to help readers understand what the cost-of-living is, and how it has impacted the mental health of people living in the UK over the past year.
First, what is the cost-of-living crisis? It is a new economic situation we are facing in the UK, where the price of essential products has skyrocketed, and yet salaries have not increased sufficiently (1). The main products we are spending more money on are: vehicle fuel, electricity, food, and gas.
Most business cannot afford to keep their prices stable during a cost-of-living crisis, but some will intentionally increase their prices to be in line with their competitors, and to get a high profit. This means that it is currently very difficult to find providers of gas, electricity, fuel, and food, that are budget-friendly.
For people who already own their own home, they may find themselves in a situation where they are unable to pay their mortgage (2). This is likely to cause a huge amount of anxiety, which could drive these individuals to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as heavy drinking. According to our infographic, 69% of these people are very or somewhat worried about the crisis (3).
For people who do not own their own home, the situation is likely to be even more worrying (4). This is backed up by the statistic on our infographic, telling us that 85% of people who rent their home are very or somewhat worried about the current high cost of living.
Whether you own a home, rent, or still live with parents, statistics show that you are likely to be experiencing anxiety at this time. Please browse the below infographic for a reminder that you are not alone, as the mental wellbeing of most Brits has been negatively affected by the rising cost of living.
