Samaritans urge people to ask for help amid fears Tier 4 Christmas could cause mental health crisis

A mental health charity is urging people suffering to reach out and ask for help amid fears Christmas alone in Tier 4 could cause a mental health crisis.

Samaritans have highlighted the support available for people after many places across the UK moved into tougher restrictions over Christmas.  

They have released tips to help people who may be worried about a loved one over the festive period.

Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan also tweeted that the decision to move into Tier 4 will have created ‘anxiety and stress for many’.

She said: ‘This announcement today will have created anxiety and stress for many. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you are worried about your mental health.’ 

Samaritans are urging people suffering to reach out and ask for help amid fears Christmas alone in Tier 4 could cause a mental health crisis (stock image) 

Advice given by Samaritans includes tips on how to support others who may be struggling by being an active listener, either in person or using technology.  

A spokesperson for Samaritans said: ‘We know it can be hard to reach out and ask for help, but talking can be life-saving – whether it’s with a family member, friend or a confidential helpline like Samaritans. 

‘Our volunteers are available 24 hours a day to provide emotional support to anyone who is struggling. 

‘We won’t judge or tell you what to do and we’ll keep what you tell us confidential.

‘Call for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org for useful resources and advice on coping during this difficult time.’  

The Duchess of Cornwall has urged the public to phone those who may be isolated over Christmas, to help bring them some ‘festive cheer’.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella Magazine this weekend, Camilla said many people would be ‘facing a gap at the Christmas table’ this year.

Her comments come in a special issue of the publication dedicated to those feeling isolated over Christmas, with advice on how to beat loneliness and help others who might be suffering.

The duchess wrote: ‘Along with many people all over the world, I have always loved the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Cambridge.

‘It is an emotional moment when the dean calls us to remember ‘those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light’.

‘For many this year, facing a gap at the Christmas table, these words will have a new and profound poignancy.

‘If you know of an older isolated person to whom you could bring a bit of festive cheer, please pick up your telephone and make the call – you really will make a huge difference.’ 

The Church of England has also said that we must look out for those who are alone following the new restrictions.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who chairs the Church of England’s Covid recovery group, released a statement following the announcement of Tier 4.

This comes as Boris Johnson cancelled Christmas for 18million people after hitting the panic button on a rampant new mutant strain of coronavirus 

It said: ‘We recognise the increased risk we face from the coronavirus – which has already taken so many lives and has now developed a new, more easily transmissible, strain – and we recognise our duty to look out for our neighbours and protect the vulnerable.

‘So, as many of us enter these new restrictions, we must commit ourselves more than ever to looking out for those who are alone, to caring for those in need and to praying for our nation and world.  

This comes as Boris Johnson cancelled Christmas for 18million people after hitting the panic button on a rampant new mutant strain of coronavirus. 

The PM made the extraordinary last-minute U-turn to put a third of England, including London and swathes of the home counties, into a brutal new ‘Tier 4’ from midnight.

The draconian bracket means non-essential shops being forced to shut, and travel restrictions including a ‘stay at home’ order for Christmas Day itself – even though Mr Johnson insisted just days ago that it would be ‘inhuman’ to axe five-day festive ‘bubbles’. 

The rest of England will not escape unscathed, with up to three households now only allowed to mix on Christmas Day rather than between December 23 and 27. 

Wales has also announced it is going into a full lockdown from midnight and will follow suit by slashing bubbles to a single day. 

Nicola Sturgeon said at her own press conference tonight that a ban on cross-border travel is being upgraded, and the law will be changed to cut bubbles to one day.

She also said that mainland Scotland will be in its top ‘Level 4’ squeeze from Boxing Day – at which point around 28million people across all four UK nations will be under the toughest restrictions.