Specific at risk groups page 10

The pandemic has further exposed the challenges for specific groups experiencing mental health difficulties in accessing relevant services, such as people with a dual diagnosis of addiction and mental health difficulties and people experiencing homelessness. Emerging evidence shows that Traveller and Roma communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 due to poor living conditions, overcrowding and lack of access to resources. This creates additional stress and anxiety, both of which are risk factors for poor mental health. Given the restrictions statutory health and social care services have been working under, access to appropriate mental health services has had to be reconfigured. This reconfiguration is not always easy for disadvantaged groups to navigate. Many services have migrated online, which risks creating a digital divide for those without means or access to these online services.