Survey finds people married or in civil partnerships feeling more anxious than single people Married individuals are more likely to be balancing homeschooling alongside other commitments, with one in four homeschooling during the pandemic compared with one in 10 who are single, separated or divorced. Married people and those in civil partnerships have reported the highest rise in anxiety levels during lockdown, according to a study by the Office of National Statistics. Figures from the ONS, based on a survey of 6,430 adults in England, Scotland and Wales found that the percentage of people who are married or in a civil partnership who reported high levels of anxiety increased from 19% in 2019 to 39%. This compares with 36% of single people, up from 23%, and 33% of widowed individuals. Prior to lockdown, the percentage reporting high levels of anxiety was lowest for those who were married or in a civil partnership (19%) compared with all other marital status groups (23%). The study noted that married individuals were more likely to be balancing homeschooling alongside other commitments, with one in four people homeschooling during the pandemic, compared with approximately one in 10 who are single, separated or divorced. It also noted that feeling lonely was the factor most strongly associated with reporting high anxiety – people who “often or always” felt lonely were almost five times more likely to report higher levels of anxiety than those who said they “never” felt lonely. Those aged 75 and over were almost twice as likely as those aged 16 to 24to report high levels of anxiety during lockdown, reversing trends prior to lockdown. Source
