At a time when COVID-19 restrictions are lifting and booster vaccines are flowing, many Canadians are still feeling significantly more depressed and anxious than before the pandemic — a trend that signals the mental health impact of the last two years will linger.
The findings come from the most recent Mental Health Research Canada poll on COVID-19, which surveyed more than 3,500 Canadians between Feb. 15 and 22. In it, people have reported feeling less concerned about the virus as a whole than at any other point in the pandemic, and less worried about catching it.
But the percentage of people reporting high rates of anxiety and depression has remained consistent since October, with 23 per cent reporting high anxiety and 16 per cent reporting high depression. This is up from five per cent and four per cent respectively before the pandemic.
“For the most part, irrespective of what is happening with COVID itself or what is going on with lockdown restrictions, we see very similar levels (of anxiety and depression) across the board,” said Dr. David Dozois, director of the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program at Western University and an MHRC board member.
“That’s surprising to me.”
Most Canadians are doing all right, Dozois noted, with more than half saying they are optimistic about the future and their ability to bounce back from pandemic challenges. But the poll sheds light on a significant portion of the population that continues to struggle despite the lifting of restrictions and the overall decline in COVID-19 cases.
Among those reporting the highest levels of anxiety are young people, women and those who are unemployed. People who identify as LGBTQ+, as well as front-line workers, also reported significantly higher feelings of anxiety. Depression rates appear to be higher among those aged 35 to 54, and many of those struggling are showing symptoms of moderate to severe psychological distress.
“There are a lot of mothers in that group and caregivers, especially mothers of children under the age of nine,” added Michael Cooper, vice-president of development at MHRC.
Many of these groups were vulnerable to declining mental health before the pandemic began, Dozois said, and COVID-19 has exacerbated those issues. But he added the number of front-line health-care workers who continue to suffer is also a cause for concern.
As to what is fuelling these persistently poor mental health rates, Dozois said “it’s the whole package;” for some, the fear of COVID-19 remains amid the lifting of restrictions, but there are other variables at play like uncertainty about the future and the dramatic increase in food prices. Cooper added geopolitical uncertainties, like the Ukraine-Russia war, present new worries for people.
Others are also having a harder time breaking the cycle of social withdrawal brought on by prolonged periods of isolation during the pandemic, Dozois said, which contributes to depression.
“The less you do, the less you feel like doing, and it becomes a vicious cycle,” he said, adding some people are also likely anxious about the idea of returning to in-person work after a long time away.
While most of this data is self-reported, the poll suggests that medical diagnoses for depression and anxiety are also up from pre-pandemic levels. Around eight per cent of people also said they’ve skipped school or work because of their poor mental health, while 22 per cent said they’ve been able to work but their productivity has suffered.
For Dozois, the results support the idea that there is a lingering impact of the pandemic on Canadians’ mental health that should be paid close attention to in the months and years to come. “We need to really be focusing more and more on increasing access to good, evidence-based psychological care,” he said.
The poll shows more people are accessing mental health support now than before COVID-19 — 22 per cent versus 11 per cent, with nearly 17 per cent accessing it virtually. But there are also more people who said they need mental health support but haven’t been able to access it.
Overall, Dozois said the poll paints a picture in which most Canadians have been rolling with the pandemic quite well. Those who are struggling, however, aren’t improving.
“We do need to pay attention to those who are suffering and ensure that we reach out and help them,” he said, both as individuals and through the health-care system.
Nadine Yousif is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering mental health. Follow her on Twitter: @nadineyousif_
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