Nearly half of Bexley residents who say the pandemic has had an effect on their well-being put it down to “lockdown loneliness”, according to new data.

Mental health charities have called for people's mental health and wellbeing to be made a priority in the recovery from Covid-19.

An Office for National Statistics survey conducted between October 14 and February 22 asked people aged 16 and over if their well-being had been affected in the last seven days by the pandemic.

In southeast London, Bexley had the most residents saying they attributed the impact on their well-being to loneliness brought on by being in lockdown.

43.5 per cent of people responding in Bexley said that loneliness had affected their well-being, comparing to an average of 38.6 per cent of people across the UK.

Bromley also had a higher than average response rate attributing loneliness to a negative impact on well-being, with 40 per cent of responses saying so.

Lewisham was slightly under the average, with 38 per cent of people referencing loneliness in their response to the survey.

But Greenwich residents were found to be notably lower than the national average in feeling that loneliness had impacted their well-being, with only 35.8 per cent of residents responding accordingly.

The ONS said young people were more likely to suffer from this form of “lockdown loneliness”.

Tom Madders, director of campaigns at mental health charity YoungMinds, said young people have experienced loneliness and isolation as Covid-19 has limited their social lives, education, or led to job losses.

“It’s important that young people know where to go to get support for their mental health if they are struggling and that they can access help as soon as they need it,” he added.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we’d like the Government to introduce a national network of early intervention hubs, with one in every community, where young people can find mental health support alongside advice on education and employment.”