‘It’s a huge global event, a massive burden of stress’ As part of These 4 Walls series we look at how Londoners dealt with their mental illnesses behind closed doors, as prescriptions for antipsychotics hit a 5-year-high in 3 ELL boroughs. Isolation, stress and drastic change of routine – the pandemic was bound to have a big mental health toll. When NHS recorded an overall increase in the prescriptions for antidepressants and antipsychotics nobody was surprised. However, the pandemic has been most astutely felt by those with pre-existing conditions as new anxieties became a reality and their bedrooms and living rooms became their therapists’ virtual office.