The impact of being burgled after Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s break-in

Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright’s £3.5million Essex home was reportedly broken into on Tuesday evening by four masked thieves "wearing balaclavas and dressed in black."

The couple, who are expecting their first baby, heard a window smash and an alarm go off, before they hid in a bathroom waiting for police to arrive, per The Sun.

Thanks to their security system, police arrived on the scene within minutes and Wright’s yelling apparently deterred the raiders, who left empty-handed in a getaway car.

A source told the paper: "It was a traumatic experience for both of them but they are relieved that neither of them were injured. Mark did the sensible thing and stayed with his wife to make sure she was okay and they waited for police to arrive before leaving the room. It was a horrible thing to go through, particularly for someone who is heavily pregnant. They are understandably very shaken up by what happened."

Burglary rates in the UK

They are sadly not alone in their experience. In 2022, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported there were 271,519 burglaries in England and Wales – that's 744 per day or one every 116 seconds.

And, according to home insurance comparison service Go Compare, the biggest burglary hotspot in England and Wales in 2024 was Cleveland – where one residential burglary is experienced for every 61 households. London naturally scored a pretty high ratio, also, with a burglary for every 90 homes.

The Met Police also warns that thieves target properties they think contain valuables, which can be indicated by the market value of the homes in your area, the cars parked in driveways on your street, or even the brands you get delivered to your door.

They also state that burglars often strike when they think the property will be vacated – whether that's during school holidays or the working day.

Short-term and long-term effects of burglaries

Beyond the practical fallout of experiencing a home invasion (i.e. calling the police, fitting in security systems and cameras, or changing the locks) there are lots of other things to navigate – not least the toll it has on your mental wellbeing a sense of safety.

According to Nilou Esmaeilpour, a registered clinical counsellor and founder at Lotus Therapy & Counselling Centre, the recovery process for this type of event can really vary from person to person.

"The immediate aftermath is filled with horrific fear, constant hyper-awareness, anxiety, and vulnerability," she explains. "The stress response in one's body becomes a mechanism, leading to disturbed sleep, memories that intrude, and readiness for action or an alert reaction that could last continuously."

She continues: "This continuous state is unhealthy. With time, if these feelings subside, the experiences may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, such as flashbacks, avoidance behaviours, and uncertainty about the future may emerge."

If untreated or ignored, these symptoms can worsen over time and embed themselves into the every day, Esmaeilpour warns.

"Victims often have intense feelings of violation and loss of control, as their home – their sanctuary – has apparently been violated. Long-term effects include living with chronic anxiety, a general mistrust of people, or forming avoidance behaviours, such as never being home alone or taking excessive measures for security."

Experts say that, as a result of these fears, one in ten victims of burglary cannot be home alone and one in 10 people move once their property has been broken into.

Burglaries and families

Another layer to Mark and Michelle's story is that the Our Girl star is heavily pregnant – which, Esmaeilpour says, can make the psychological impact "more extreme."

"Pregnancy alters emotions as well as physical vulnerability. This situation, in turn, adds significantly to one’s fear and anxiousness," she explains. "A pregnant couple sees their first priority in the safety of the unborn child, so an invasion of their home by intruders brings a most profound sense of insecurity in their ability to protect their family.

"High levels of stress hormones like cortisol injure both mother and baby. Some mothers begin worrying excessively about their safety and the safety of their unborn child, which gives rise to perinatal anxiety. If their fears are left unchecked, these feelings might soon follow them even after the child is born, and thus tend to severely affect their mental wellness and bonding with their baby."

Personal theft versus home invasion

Esmaeilpour also points out that the type of theft or crime is key to the fallout and recovery process.

She says: "A home invasion violates the psychological concepts of safety and security for its victims. Unlike in a mugging, when the crime targets the person's wellbeing detached from the personal space, a home invasion represents an attack to the very space the person expected to feel safe – most often for several years.

"The results are thus far-reaching, with the victim being unable to feel relaxed in his or her home, and far more prone to develop prolonged anxiety and hyper-vigilance regarding what transpires within those four walls."

How to cope if you've been burgled

There are many things a person can do after a traumatic event like a home invasion to feel safer, Esmaeilpour reassures.

"Making safety improvements to one’s home, including good locks, security cameras, and motion sensors, can bolster one’s sense of control," she says. "Setting up routines that invoke safety, such as locking doors before bed or keeping a phone close, can help one feel secure."

"Some individuals enjoy self-defence classes or reframing their thinking by channeling into something constructive.

"Equally important may be psychological support, including the use of mindfulness techniques, therapy, or maintaining a support network to establish a sense of normalcy," she adds.

Read more about mental health:

• PTSD signs and treatment as Lorraine Kelly says she suffered following Lockerbie bombing (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)

• Six ways to navigate parenthood and grief as a young widow or widower (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)

• Six ways antidepressants affect children and young people (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)