According to new research, people are more concerned about their finances than they are about contracting COVID-19.

Almost four in ten people (38 percent) are concerned about their finances, up from 32 percent in January and the highest level since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Some 33% are concerned about getting COVID-19, down from 40% in January.

The study is based on the opinions of 28,495 people in the UK between March 21 and March 27, according to the University College London’s COVID-19 Social Study.

The researchers also discovered that only 56% of people felt in control of their finances in March, compared to 63% in October, with working-age adults being twice as concerned as older people.

Some 49% said they felt in control of their mental health, up from 54% six months ago, with the number of people reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression at its highest in 11 months.

“These findings could suggest that our return to more ‘normal’ living has not had all the mental health benefits that people necessarily expected,” said lead author Dr. Daisy Fancourt of UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care.

“However, it is worth noting that a cost-of-living crisis has emerged in recent months.”

“Concerns about money have grown in recent years, with people now more concerned about money than COVID-19.”

“This suggests that for individuals, new psychological stressors are becoming dominant.”

According to Dr. Fancourt, the significant drop in concern about contracting the virus coincides with a drop in the number of people following advice to wear face coverings, socially distance themselves, and take COVID tests.

“However, it is important to remember that the number of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths remains the same or higher than in January 2022, indicating that the overall situation has not changed despite the shift in attitude.”

The Nuffield Foundation, UK Research, and Innovation, and Wellcome have all contributed to the study’s funding.