There has been an evident correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and a dramatic increase in mental health issues suffered by the British public; for instance, according to the ONS, depression rates have doubled since the start of the pandemic. This has resulted in, among other major problems such as domestic abuse, a sharp growth in the number of attempted suicides, to the extent that mental health charities such as Suicide Prevention have seen a 300% increase in calls over the course of COVID. In my view, this is due to a lack of meaning in the lives of many, in particular with regard to meaningful human interaction in a time when most of our work and social activities are online. Such an issue is most vividly expressed by the great psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, who wrote in 1946 that ‚’ever more people today have the means to live, but no meaning to live for‚’. This sentiment is particularly relevant in the era of lockdowns and social distancing, where so many in our society struggle to find meaning in their lives and thus encounter problems with their mental health.
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