Covid: How to look after your mental health in a pandemic

The pandemic has brought grief, financial hardship and loneliness for many people, and looking after our mental health is now more important than ever.

We have been covering the hidden impact of Covid-19 - from anxiety and depression, to stress and loneliness - since the beginning of the pandemic, and some of our best pieces are below. The BBC has also just launched a new platform, called Headroom, to help with people's mental health during this time.

How has coronavirus affected mental health?: Mental health problems have got worse across all age-groups in the past year. In adults, the proportion showing symptoms of depression has almost doubled since the start of the pandemic and coronavirus has fuelled feelings of loneliness, anxiety and fears for the future for many people.

Five ways to stay positive through the lockdown: While times are undoubtedly tough there are some simple ways we can improve our mental health, such as doing more exercise and setting targets.

What is the mental health cost to the young?: Although young people's risks of becoming severely ill with Covid-19 is low, with some students having been isolated at universities, exams cancelled and schools, closed could the long-term mental health impact be more damaging?

Tips and tricks for coping at uni in a pandemic: It has been a very different experience for those young people who have started university during the pandemic. We asked students for their tips on how to cope with it all.

How to protect your mental health: It is understandable that with the world plunged into uncertainty and constant news about the pandemic around us, it can all feel a bit overwhelming. So how can you protect your mental health?

How to cope in a winter lockdown, from those who've done it: With the pandemic hitting at different times around the world, many countries experienced a winter lockdown before the UK. Five people from around the world share tips about getting through the dark winter months.

'I'll never go back to the gym again': Exercise is important for mental health but with gyms closed for long periods due to coronavirus restrictions how can you get your fitness fix?

The devastating toll of the pandemic on children: From increasing rates of mental health problems to concerns about rising levels of abuse and neglect and the potential harm being done to the development of babies, the pandemic is threatening to have a devastating legacy on the nation's young.

The cartoonists making mental health their muse: Sometimes it can be hard to describe what you feel, and this can be particularly difficult when it comes to our mental health. Comic artists who work in the new genre of graphic medicine use humour as well as their pencils to get their message across.

Unlikely friendships forged through Covid: If you need to read something a bit wholesome, this is the story about the Share Ami scheme. It pairs language students with elderly French people, some of whom have been left isolated by the coronavirus pandemic.

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by mental health issues, support is available on the BBC Action Line.