Most people receiving psychological therapy in Northamptnshire seen within NHS target time, according to new figures

And while mental health charity Mind said patients elsewhere in the country faced "unacceptably" lengthy waits for treatment before the coronavirus outbreak, it warned that social distancing measures have led to a fall in referrals.

Psychological therapy involves clinical support for adults suffering with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Under the NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, 75% of people referred should access treatment within six weeks of their assessment, and 95% within 18 weeks.

NHS England data reveals that of the 1,000 people who had their first psychological therapy treatment in the NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group in January, 98% had been waiting six weeks or less since their original referral.

That was in line with 98% of 1,005 referrals in January 2019.

However, Geoff Heyes, from Mind, said it is "vital" that the coronavirus pandemic is understood as a mental health crisis, as well as a physical health crisis.

He added: "We know that many people were still waiting an unacceptably long time to access talking therapies before coronavirus and that there is a huge need for mental health support at the moment. Nobody should have to wait longer than 28 days to access the support they deserve.

“However, we are also hearing that the impact of coronavirus on NHS talking therapies has been a reduction in the number of referrals. In some places this reduction has been significant.

Mr Heyes said the drop could be for several reasons, including discomfort around digital therapy or guilt about asking for help from the NHS during the outbreak.

"We would encourage anyone who feels they need mental health support to make an appointment with their GP or refer themselves to talking therapies via IAPT," he added.

Nationally, of the 110,400 people who started talking therapy in January, 82% were seen within six weeks of their referral.

A survey by charity Rethink Mental Illness found that 80% of people living with mental illness said coronavirus and measures to contain it have made their mental health worse, with 27% saying it is "much worse".

Danielle Hamm, the charity's associate director for campaigns and policy, said: "The NHS is doing an incredible job, but it is likely that we will see increase demand for care over the coming months and years.

"Mental health must be a government priority during the pandemic and sustained investment in mental health services is crucial."

Dr Esther Cohen-Tovee, chairman of the division of clinical psychology at the British Psychological Society, said: "Psychological services are making every effort to offer telephone or online consultations and therapy during the pandemic and the restrictions on us all.

"People already suffering with anxiety and depression will be affected in different ways by the pandemic and the restrictions.

"We need to rebuild more cohesive and connected communities to protect everyone’s wellbeing."