Table 7 Key messages from focus group discussions

FGD 1: Socio-economic inequalities and mental health

Participants stressed the fact that, although UK lockdown measures were applied across the country, not everyone experienced its consequences in the same way. Participants expressed the need to view overall health, wellbeing, and financial security as equally important

FGD 2: Diverging inequalities and mental health experiences

Participants discussed how people entered the pandemic differently from positions of advantage/disadvantage. Certain population groups in our society already had a higher risk of experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing than people from more advantaged positions, and more nuanced views were identified in relation to financial disparities, its consequences and impacts on mental health

FGD 3: Resilience and coping strategies

Participants described their main coping strategies to be accessing nature, working from home, and maintaining relationships with family and friends