The COVID-19 pandemic tests everyone’s capacity to deal with tension and stress. When we are brought out of our daily schedules, faced with a continuously shifting environment, and isolated from our normal resources, stress control becomes more complicated. COVID-19 also introduced new life stressors thus amplifying old ones.
The pandemic has brought a revolution in how society deals with mental health, as well as debates about the future of mental health care. Companies have made massive investments in mental health science, including in Canada, where large mental health organizations have closely tracked shifts in people’s mental health during the pandemic. They did so by conducting polls at key points in the pandemic’s evolution to assess COVID-19’s effects in real-time.
According to the results of researchers, the mental health condition of the Canadian population is getting worse during lockdown due to COVID-19. For better mental health care, a systemic change is required for the Canadian population which increases the demand for psychotherapists and psychologists.
Canadians are suffering from the effects of a cold snap in many parts of the world, as well as the second round of COVID-19. As a result of physical or social isolation, Canadians are getting more nervous, depressed, and lonely. Workloads have increased and tighter lockdowns have been implemented in Saskatchewan/Manitoba and Ontario.
Mental health prevalence and Substance use disorder during COVID-19
Fears about the mental health of the Canadian population and drug abuse use have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, including issues about suicide risk. In January 2021, 41% of adults reported anxiety and/or depressive illness symptoms, a percentage that has remained relatively constant since spring 2020. According to a survey conducted in June 2020, 13% of adults reported new or elevated drug use as a result of coronavirus-related stress, and 11% of adults reported suicidal thoughts in the previous 30 days. Rates of suicide have been that for some time and could intensify as a result of the pandemic.
The following are the major mental health issues experienced by the people of Canada.
- Increased Stress and Anxiety
COVID-19 has caused a number of people (56%) to experience greater discomfort or anxiety. The young Canadian population (18-34) are adversely impacted, with 63 percent reporting increased psychological distress, while older Canadians (55+) are less affected, with 46 percent reporting increased stress or anxiety. Atlantic Canadians (68%) and prairie people living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (65%) are the most likely to claim they are facing rising tensions or anxiety, whereas British Columbians (46%) are the least likely. Women (58%) face more tension or anxiety than men (52%) do.
Moreover, men are showing more depression and anxiety in 2021 than recorded in November 2020, whereas women are reporting significantly less.
- A decline in how Canadians feel about their mental health
The majority of the Canadian population (44 %) also says there is a poor condition of their mental health during the winter months of 2021. This is particularly true of women and the younger generation (18-34 years old) (61 percent) (50 percent). During the 2021 winter, citizens of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (58%) and Atlantic Canada (53%) were more likely to believe that their mental health is in poor condition.
The consequences of the second wave of COVID-19 and lockdown are more harmful than the first wave. The second phase, according to 44% of Canadians, is having a stronger effect on their mental health than the previous, which happened in the spring. This is particularly true in the case of people of age 18-34 (53 percent), but less so for those aged 55 and up (36 percent). The percentage of residents of Ontario is 49%.
- The effects of physical distancing
The ratio of the people who feel alone or alone as a result of physical or social distance increasing rapidly. Almost 45 % of Canadians thought this way in November 2020, compared to 54% now. Moreover, more Canadians are feeling alone or depressed in February 2021 than they were in late 2020, among all groups. observed The largest changes were observed in residents of Ontario (+11%), as well as Canadians over 55 years old (+14%), men (+11%), and people with children at home (+13%). The length of the lockdowns, along with the cold weather, may have contributed to a greater sense of depression or isolation.
- Loss, grief, and healing
One of the most difficult things we can go through is a failure. It may be the death of a loved one or a mate, the loss of a career, a schedule, a passion, or something else that has vanished from our lives. The sum of loss that all of us would process is one of the most distressing aspects of the pandemic. The lockdown due to COVID-19 increases the grief and sense of loss among the elder Canadian population.
Grief is our mental reaction to loss or tragedy. Grief may affect our feelings, perceptions, actions, and even our physical and mental well-being. The way one person copes with grief can be vastly different from how another copes. Grief reactions may include, for example:
- Anger
- Lack of concentration
- Physical changes like upset stomach, dizziness, headache
- Lack of interest in daily activities
In this pandemic of COVID-19, grief is thought to be a new normal. Although it is painful, many people are suffering from this and trying to manage it with their efforts.
References
- https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/01/04/the-pandemic-has-taken-a-toll-on-mental-health-in-canada-will-it-also-change-mental-health-care.html
- https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/
- https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/covid-continues-take-heavy-toll-canadians-mental-health
- https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-health-and-covid-19/loss-grief-and-healing
