More than half in South East rely on harmful habits for mental health coping
People are resorting to self-isolation and social media scrolling to cope with their mental health.
Last updated 11th May 2026
A survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation has highlighted that residents in the South East are frequently using unhealthy methods to manage mental health concerns.
According to the data released at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, over 57% of individuals from the region have engaged in harmful behaviours when feeling stressed, anxious, or low in the past month.
The survey, conducted by Opinium and involving more than 4,000 adults across the UK, reveals that 25% of people in the South East resort to self-isolation as a coping mechanism, while 23% immerse themselves in social media and online scrolling.
Despite evidence indicating these actions may exacerbate mental health issues, they remain predominant choices among those experiencing negative emotions.
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms and Their Impacts
The full analysis of the survey suggests that these strategies are commonly employed despite the potential harm.
The findings also indicate other significant behaviours including overeating or comfort eating and oversleeping, reported by 22%
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, emphasised the urgency in shifting from awareness into practical actions that are conducive to improving mental health:
“This polling tells us that, despite the progress in increasing awareness around mental health, too many of us in the South East 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.
“Over 25 years of Mental Health Awareness Week, we have heard calls that we have reached peak awareness on mental health, but with the UK’s record levels of poor mental health, and with our data showing that many people are coping through harmful actions, it is clear there is still so much more to be done."
Positive Coping Strategies in Actiont
The survey also uncovered that 69 per cent of individuals have taken at least one helpful action to bolster their mental wellbeing.
Spending time outdoors, engaging in enjoyable activities such as reading or music, and exercising were identified as popular methods.
However, many people combine both beneficial and harmful strategies, with 47% adopting at least one detrimental action alongside positive practices.
Rowland further commented on the necessity for individuals and policymakers to promote actions known to improve mental health, while discouraging negative coping mechanisms:
"To address the South East’s mental health crisis, people must be equipped with the skills and understanding of which actions improve our mental health, and to know which actions may feel good in the short term but worsen our mental health over time.
"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."