Nearly 60% of people in East of England use harmful habits to manage mental health, charity warns
The charity said these behaviours can worsen mental health over time
More than half of people in the East of England are using potentially harmful habits to cope with stress, anxiety and low mood, according to new research released for Mental Health Awareness Week.
The research
Polling commissioned by The Mental Health Foundation found 55 per cent of people in the region had taken harmful actions to cope with poor mental health within the last month.
The most common behaviours included spending more time scrolling social media or online content as a distraction, reported by 27 per cent of respondents, and oversleeping or staying in bed for long periods, sometimes referred to online as “bed rotting”, reported by 22 per cent.
The charity said there is growing evidence these behaviours can worsen mental health over time despite offering short-term comfort.
The research, carried out by polling company Opinium, surveyed more than 4,000 adults across the UK ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from today (May 11th 2026) to May 17 2026.
Other harmful coping mechanisms identified in the East of England included overeating or comfort eating, also reported by 22 per cent of people, and avoiding social contact or spending more time alone, reported by 21 per cent.
What the results mean and the impact on mental health
Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, Mark Rowland, said the findings showed awareness around mental health had not always translated into positive action.
He said: “This polling tells us that, despite the progress in increasing awareness around mental health, too many people in the East of England have yet to translate awareness into effective action.
“Instead, our data shows a concerning number of people, especially young people, are taking actions to cope with poor mental health that could be making their situation worse.”
Mr Rowland warned behaviours such as “doomscrolling”, self-isolation and excessive time spent in bed could cut people off from healthier forms of support and connection.
He said: “Behaviours like self-isolation, doomscrolling, and bed rotting are not only potentially harmful in themselves, but they can also cut us off from the positive influences on our mental health, like community and connection to nature.”
Positive actions for mental health
Despite the concerns, the charity said many people were also taking positive steps to support their mental wellbeing.
The polling found 64 per cent of people in the East of England had taken at least one positive action for their mental health during the previous month.
The most common included doing something relaxing or enjoyable such as reading or listening to music, spending time outdoors or in nature, and taking part in physical activity.
However, researchers found nearly half of respondents, 46 per cent, were combining positive wellbeing activities with harmful coping behaviours at the same time.
Only 19 per cent said they were exclusively using actions known to support mental health.
Mr Rowland said: “Connecting with nature, spending time with others, doing things we love, and getting moving are all great ways to keep our mood positive and address anxieties and stress.
“Encouraging people to drop the negative coping mechanisms, and instead only focus on those actions which improve mental health, is vital to tackling poor mental health in the UK.”
The Mental Health Foundation is also calling on the Government to take further action to address what it described as a growing mental health crisis linked to financial pressures, uncertainty and increasing isolation.