Anxiety rates in Birmingham have risen by 6% in the last year according to new analysis conducted by Birmingham Eastside.
The average rate of anxiety reported in Birmingham was 3.23 on a scale of 0 to 10 during the year ending March 2022, according to analysis of data from a wellbeing survey.
In the year ending March 2023 the average reported rate was 3.43, according to the data released by the Office of National Statistics in November.
The rising levels of anxiety buck the decreasing trend observed following the pandemic, which saw the average reported anxiety rate drop by 5% between the year ending March 2021 and March 2022.
In response to the analysis, Rosie Weatherley, Information Content Manager at Mind, said “After a global pandemic and a cost of living crisis which has impacted the wellbeing of many people across the country, it’s unsurprising to see levels of anxiety rising among the population.
Alongside that, local mental health services are struggling following decades of underfunding, leaving people waiting too long for support. With 1.9 million people on waiting lists for mental health support across the UK, we need to see better investment from the UK government for mental health support for people of all backgrounds.”
Analysis of the survey results also revealed a decline in rates of life satisfaction, worthwhileness and happiness in the second biggest city in the UK.