The impact of lockdown on men’s community groups
On the 23rd March 2020, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first lockdown in the UK. All citizens were instructed to ‘stay at home’, while all services, other than those deemed to be ‘essential’ were ordered to close. For almost three years, the Government and mainstream media focused almost exclusively on Covid-19, the numbers of related deaths and the ensuing impact on the NHS.
Restrictions lifted gradually in England and the devolved nations in early 2022; however, in official circles, there was still little discussion about the impact of lockdown – despite the calls from some epidemiologists and clinicians, who argued that the cure was worse than the disease. Increasingly, through 2022, the voices of those with concerns grew louder, and eventually, even Professors Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance were forced to recognise that we might expect poor outcomes and excess deaths in the UK as a consequence of lockdown strategies. The current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, was recently accused of re-writing history as he claimed that he had been effectively blocked from raising concerns about the negative ‘trade-offs’ of lockdown.
“studies have highlighted the physical and psychological deterioration of those in care facilities due to Government guidelines which prevented family members visiting loved ones.”
Reflecting upon the damaging consequences of lockdown, commentators have broadly focused on children, adolescents, and older people living in care facilities. It is now evident, for example, that young children’s social, emotional and language skills were damaged during restrictions, while adolescent mental health is under severe pressure across a range of indicators. Other studies have highlighted the physical and psychological deterioration of those in care facilities due to Government guidelines which prevented family members visiting loved ones. Campaign groups such as Rights for Residents and Unlock Care Homes continue to raise concerns about providers limiting visits from families. Collectively, they demonstrate the harm, distress and safeguarding risks caused by extreme infection control policies.
However, with the exclusion of one excellent study from Anglia Ruskin University, the impact of lockdown on those who attend community groups and clubs has attracted little attention. For many people, groups and services organised informally in their communities, or by the third sector, provide a vital social support network. Since September 2017 I have partnered with Exeter City Community Trust & the Sporting Memories Foundation to develop ‘Sporting Memories’ reminiscence groups for older men in Devon. Our remit has been to target men over 50 years of age, who, for a variety of reasons, might have found themselves lonely or isolated – or challenged by physical or mental health problems. The two existing groups have proved a resounding success, offering connection, friendship, peer support and opportunities for signposting to other services. Our aim is to continue the work we had begun prior to Covid-19, to expand the network in other towns across the County.
“We immediately organised replacement sessions on Zoom; however, not all our participants had access to the internet, and others felt that digital groups lacked the vital in-person connection […] Many of our members described the lockdown as extremely difficult – a number of them felt they had ‘lost two years’ of their life.”
Overnight on the 23rd March 2020, we were forced to close all groups. We immediately organised replacement sessions on Zoom; however, not all our participants had access to the internet, and others felt that digital groups lacked the vital in-person connection that is so vibrant during our sessions. For those who were particularly isolated, we also organised one-to-one walks. Many of our members described the lockdown as extremely difficult – a number of them felt they had ‘lost two years’ of their life. Ancillary and enabling services were abruptly withdrawn, which was challenging for those diagnosed with dementia and especially so for their carers. For one participant with a recent dementia diagnosis, the withdrawal of all assistance from specialist services made coming to terms with an uncertain future very difficult. Nearly three years after the first lockdown, many of these services have not returned, and our Sporting Memories groups remain the only access some men have to friendship and support. Those receiving specialist care for physical illness had appointments and examinations cancelled or delayed, leading to the deterioration of symptoms. Others receiving rehabilitation for disability, psychological illness or addiction, were profoundly disadvantaged by the withdrawal of services and support. One member moved to the area in early March 2020 to accept a place offered to him on an addiction programme. This was abruptly withdrawn – a devastating move, leaving him effectively ‘locked’ away in new surroundings, in an unfamiliar area. It is not surprising that some participants describe a damaging loss of confidence since 2020, exacerbated by the isolation of lockdown and by ‘fear’, driven by the intense and sustained media focus on death and morbidity.
There were of course, a number of group members who lived with relatives or managed to maintain a cohesive network around them. These men recalled that nothing really changed for them during lockdown – although they missed the convivial company and cognitive stimulation of the group sessions. Others looked back with a sense of detachment, finding it hard to recall the emotions of the time. As a historian of health and medicine, I am well-versed with the practice of oral history, and the ways in which it is sometimes difficult to confront the past ‘as it was’. There are certainly some inconsistencies when comparing communications received from a number of men during lockdown with reflective memories articulated more recently (which convey a need to ‘move on’). Such discrepancies have been widely discussed in academic literature on surviving painful memories and the ways in which memory is produced and interpreted in different contexts. For the most part, nonetheless, when discussing the lockdowns with group members, their reflections certainly mirror the findings from Anglia Ruskin University in this video of the impact of lockdown on a men’s indoor bowling community.
“the wife of a participant who was registered blind, was denied reasonable access to be with her husband as his advocate in hospital, where he sadly died. Poor care with regard to hydration, nourishment and communication, led to a formal complaint”
Sadly, seven members died during – and between – lockdowns. Only one was officially diagnosed with Covid-19. Inevitably, for the families of those who died, funerals and the natural bereavement process were completely disrupted by restrictions implemented in the pandemic response. In one instance, the wife of a participant who was registered blind, was denied reasonable access to be with her husband as his advocate in hospital, where he sadly died. Poor care with regard to hydration, nourishment and communication, led to a formal complaint, an apology on behalf of the hospital, and revised training for staff.
From a group facilitator’s perspective, such suffering and loss has been hard to witness. Writing about the groups in 2019, long before the Covid-19 lockdowns, I noted that many members felt undervalued and invisible, challenged by statutory support systems which were complex and often dispassionate. I recalled then, that older men, when speaking ‘the language of loneliness’, were often articulating a complex range of emotional responses to contemporary life. Many of them perceived that others see their generation’s views and concerns as illegitimate; and most of all, they sensed a lack of compassion in everyday human interactions. Providing a space for men to connect with and support each other seemed critical back then. It is evident that two years of social restrictions resulted in considerable physical and psychological harm and that the need is now even more acute.
“loneliness and isolation increase the likelihood of mortality by 26%. The effects have been compared to the impact of well-known risk factors such as obesity and smoking […] there must be open debate and a rigorous risk/benefit impact study undertaken prior to any future [lockdown]”
There is now widely accepted data which suggests that loneliness and isolation increase the likelihood of mortality by 26%. The effects have been compared to the impact of well-known risk factors such as obesity and smoking. There is now an urgent need for support services to help people recover from the physical and mental impacts of lockdown. There must be open acknowledgement from the Government and the Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) that lockdown restrictions resulted in significant harm to many – and in particular to those already profoundly disadvantaged by illness and disability. Finally, there must be open debate and a rigorous risk/benefit impact study undertaken prior to any future public health intervention of this kind.
[Editor’s note: Dr Haggett writes more about the mental health implications of the covid lockdowns in this interview].
*The views of the author are not necessarily those of the Sporting Memories Network or Exeter City Community Trust
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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