At the start of April, a quarter of the year having already gone, we find ourselves here in a wintry chill, the war still raging in Ukraine with not much sign of progress, the UK besmirched by further political scandals and a cost of living crisis unprecedented in recent years. Marvellous. T S Eliot, whoseContinue reading “Saturday 2 April”
Tag Archives: anxiety
Sunday 20 March
As Putin presses on with his ghastly ‘special operation’ in Ukraine (day 24 of the invasion today), it’s increasingly clear that the West is between a rock and hard place regarding intervention – Ukrainians and others are saying WW3 has already broken out and it’s only a matter of time before other countries get involvedContinue reading “Sunday 20 March”
Sunday 6 March
Since Russia invaded Ukraine over a week ago, a shocking but not surprising development, the news has been wall to wall Ukraine. Two million people have reportedly already been displaced by the invasion, an extremely worrying incursion being the capture of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Russian military officials. Putin is gaslighting Ukraine andContinue reading “Sunday 6 March”
Saturday 19 February
The dramatic weather conditions have temporarily pushed the Ukraine crisis and this government’s self-inflicted and worsening travails down the news agenda – it’s been quite alarming (much more for those nearby, of course!) seeing footage of London’s O2 arena’s roof being shredded, an enormous tree toppling over in Devon and the top of a SomersetContinue reading “Saturday 19 February”
Sunday 6 February
There are almost no words for the shaming debacle currently dominating Downing Street and our politics. There’s no doubt this is having a bad effect on the public’s mental health (more below), some saying publicly that they don’t know what to do with their rage. This rage is exacerbated by the feeling of helplessness arisingContinue reading “Sunday 6 February”
Sunday 23 January
The febrile political atmosphere has been intensifying over the last fortnight, catalyzed by ‘Partygate’, as allegations and revelations come thick and fast, the Prime Minister finally well and truly on the ropes. Although anger over Partygate has been building since before Christmas, three key events this last week have heightened tensions – the emergence ofContinue reading “Sunday 23 January”
Saturday 8 January 2022
Happy New Year to all readers, insofar as this is possible given the current worrying situation! The feeling in many quarters that things are out of control can rarely have been so pronounced. Since the last blog post in mid-December, the intertwined Covid and political situations have been a rollercoaster, and just when you thinkContinue reading “Saturday 8 January 2022”
Sunday 12 December
Various media outlets are now finally discussing the degree to which we can trust the Prime Minister, citing a plummeting in trust over recent months. The major theme of this blog has been the risks to public mental health when we can’t trust our leaders, who function as proxies for our early authority figures (egContinue reading “Sunday 12 December”
Sunday 28 November
After social psychologist Professor Stephen Reicher tweeted that trust was crucial for people to accept and follow government restrictions a sceptic responded that trust is not specific to one area of government action: ‘sadly this government has repeatedly shown itself to be dishonest and corrupt, harming public health’. This principle is central to this blog,Continue reading “Sunday 28 November”
Sunday 21 November
There are almost no words for the shameful spectacle which has engulfed British politics during the last few weeks but which has its roots in the privilege and sense of entitlement nurtured over many years, particularly within the Conservative Party. This will be adding to public anxiety, already long exacerbated by the effects of pandemicContinue reading “Sunday 21 November”
Politics and mental health - the missing link? 