New Welsh Government urged to prioritise mental health prevention as Awareness Week begins
More than two-thirds of adults in Wales used harmful actions to cope with poor mental health in the past month, a new poll suggests.
The figure of 69 per cent comes from a Wales-wide survey of 1,015 adults carried out by Opinium for the Mental Health Foundation, published today to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week.
The most common harmful action reported was spending time in isolation from others, cited by 36 per cent of those polled.
A third (34 per cent) said they had spent more time scrolling social media when feeling stressed, anxious or low.
Thirty-one per cent reported oversleeping or staying in bed, a pattern increasingly described as “bed rotting.”
Comfort eating or overeating was reported by 27 per cent.
The same poll suggests 84 per cent of adults in Wales had also taken at least one helpful action to support their mental health, with accessing nature (41 per cent) the most common, followed by hobbies (37 per cent) and physical activity, sleep or rest (35 per cent).
Most respondents reported a mix of both.
The Mental Health Foundation said 64 per cent were doing at least one harmful action alongside helpful ones, with one in five (20 per cent) reporting only helpful actions.
The poll did not include a Flintshire or Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board breakdown, and the Wales-wide sample is not large enough to draw local conclusions.
The foundation said the figures for both harmful and helpful actions in Wales were higher than the UK average, but did not publish the UK comparison figures in its release.
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 11 to 17 May.
The Mental Health Foundation released the findings four days after the Senedd election and called on the incoming Welsh Government to prioritise the prevention of poor mental health.
Wales is one year into the ten-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, published in 2024.
Catherine Razzell, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “This polling tells us that, here in Wales, there is a concerning degree of harmful actions taken by people as a way of dealing with their feelings of poor mental health, such as doomscrolling or over-eating.
“We are hopeful to see positive actions being taken by individuals to help maintain and improve good mental health.
“Tried and trusted activities such as connecting with nature, which many of us are fortunate to have access to in Wales, and taking part in physical exercise and rest, in equal measure, are all known to support our mental health.”
Ms Razzell said the foundation wanted to see the incoming Welsh Government tackle inequalities that act as barriers to good mental health.
She added: “Whilst it is good news people are finding ways to prioritise and protect their mental health and support those around them, more action is needed from our governments to create the conditions to support good mental health.
“We are seeing a once in a generation change politically in Wales.
“We are one year into the new ten-year mental health strategy for Wales and are keen to see how the new government will implement and resource this.”
Jack Sargeant MS represents Alyn and Deeside in the Senedd.
Mental health services across the patch are managed by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which remains in special measures.
If you are affected by issues raised in this article, support is available. The Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123 at any time. The Community Advice and Listening Line (CALL) for Wales is 0800 132 737, or text “help” to 81066.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
