Hundreds of people are at risk over Christmas after calls to a missing persons' helpline rose by two thirds during the coronavirus outbreak.
The impacts of the pandemic and lockdown have sparked the surge in the number of people thinking about disappearing, charity Missing People said.
Calls to its helpline have risen 68 per cent, from an average of 284 calls per quarter in 2018-19 and 2019-20 to 477 on average for the first two quarters of 2020-21. And the number of vulnerable adults assisted has risen more than a third since March, with 817 adults helped on average during the first two quarters of 2020-21.
This has risen from 583 adults on average per quarter over 2018-19 and 2019-20, with part of the rise also likely due to better data recording.
Now the charity is asking families forced to separate over the festive period to check up on loved ones remotely as some people are "necessarily be excluded" from Christmas celebrations because of Government guidelines that limit gatherings to three households.
Chief executive Jo Youle said: "Christmas is always a challenging time of year, and especially so in 2020 when many of us have spent the year apart from loved ones and are continuing to do so.
"Mental health and money problems are a key driver for people to go missing. This year the financial and societal impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are likely to lead to a significant increase in the numbers of people going missing, and feeling suicidal, perhaps at a scale not seen before.
"This is likely to be most acutely felt in disadvantaged communities and those who are already socially excluded."
A survey for the charity found that two thirds of vulnerable people reported that lockdown measures had worsened their mental health, while half said it had become harder to access support services.
A survey from the University of Liverpool found that fewer adults went missing during the first lockdown, compared to the previous year, but those who did were more vulnerable and at higher risk of harming themselves or others.
Men aged 22-39 are the adult group most likely to go missing, with black and minority ethnic groups representing a disproportionately large percentage of people reported missing and are among the groups most affected by Covid-19.
Missing People has produced a free guide - supported by People's Postcode Lottery and Royal Mail - on how families can look after each others' mental health.
