For Mental Health Awareness Week, we take a look at related statistics and surveys shared via the ResponseSource Press Release Wire over the last month. Looking for data on loneliness, lack of sleep, new Government legislation on calorie labelling or keeping your inside and outside spaces in tip-top condition? We crunch the numbers, below…

But before you delve in – grab any extra data or expert opinion you may need for your features via the Journalist Enquiry Service here.

Mental health

Wellbeing Partners are urging businesses to ‘normalise loneliness’ in a bid to support employees who may be struggling. Some stark statistics related to the issue of loneliness – more than three million adults in Britain ‘often or always’ feel lonely. When it comes to support from workplaces, 36% – nearly four in ten – of HR managers aren’t sure of the protocols to take if an employee’s mental health deteriorates. Read more here for the numbers and recommended ways to help from experts.

Are you getting enough sleep? It’s very likely you aren’t. According to Benenden Health, the average UK adult gets only six hours of sleep a day (or night, depending on when you turn in… to sleep, or look at your phone). The survey of 2,000 UK adults found stress and anxiety to be the main cause of sleeplessness (51%), with loud noises (27%), uncomfortable temps (24%) and late bedtimes (23%) also cutting down the zzzs. Tired people getting the least amount of sleep in the UK? Those living in Greater London, who only get 5.89 hours a night on average. Read more here.    

Physical health

Despite the relaxation of rules regarding mask-wearing in the UK, 76% of 18-to-24-year-olds are planning to continue masking-up when around elderly or vulnerable people. According to a study of over 1,000 people from YouGov and AirPop, 55% of those still wearing masks do so because they care about others, while 40% said they were scared of catching COVID-19 themselves. Interestingly, 0% of 18-to-24-year-olds believe it is unnecessary to wear facemasks in bars, restaurants and shops. Read more here.

Useful information, or potentially dangerous – whatever your views are on the calorie labelling legislation that came into force at the start of April, it’s already influencing consumer choices on where to eat. 57% of consumers in the UK say it will impact their choices, while 43% said they would be more likely to frequent restaurants with the information on their menu. 68% of those surveyed feel the new rules on calorie labels are a ‘good’ move, yet only 21% actually believe it will have a positive impact on obesity levels across the country. Read more from Vita Mojo’s report here.

Home admin

With warmer weather on the way (hopefully…), will you be out enjoying the garden? Watch out for grassy projectiles when you’re making the most of the homestead. A look into UK gardening habits by HIPPO has found some interesting approaches to handling grass clippings etc. – ‘Chuck it over the wall’ and ‘Throw if over the neighbour’s fence’ being just some of the answers to the question ‘how do you get rid of large amounts of garden waste?’. Luckily, a good number of Brits are more considerate, with 40% taking a trip to the tip and 30% using their domestic garden bin. Read more here.

Moving from the garden to the home – how fastidious is the UK with keeping the home clean? 33% of those polled by VAX admitted to hiding carpet stains with a rug or piece of furniture. 70% said they would attempt to clean up food and drink spills as soon as they happen, and over 60% would tackle dirty footprints straight away. Up on their hygiene, or no spare furniture or rugs to utilise? Read the release to decide.

Considering the potential horrors lurking underneath furniture and rugs across UK homes, maybe locking doors and windows isn’t completely necessary to deter uninvited guests… Research from Yale has found that almost half of Britons don’t lock up when they’re home. However, respondents did put in the effort to make their home look inhabited when they go out, leaving on lights (52%), a television or radio (28%) or asking a neighbour to park on their drive (24%). This, despite the fact 58% of burglaries occur when someone is inside the targeted property. Remember: light and TV gambits didn’t work for Kevin McCallister in ‘Home Alone’ – Read more here (and then go lock your door).   

We provide these as a jumping-off point for your own research and you should perform your own checks on any of these stories – a few tips in this post. If you’d like to source experts, further information or case studies for any of these topics or something else you’re working on, head to the (free) Journalist Enquiry Service to save hours of research and expand your network of sources.