New study reveals one-in-three Canadians are struggling with their mental health

Jan 25 2022, 3:48 pm

A new study on Canadians’ mental health has found that a worrying number of people are fatigued, anxious, and frustrated.

The Angus Reid Institute released the results of the study on Monday, and it appears the mental health of Canadians has taken a swift and grim turn since November, with one-in-three saying they’re struggling.

“This represents an increase from the one-quarter who said so in November, prior to Omicron becoming the dominant COVID-19 variant in Canada,” reads the Angus Reid Institute study.

Canadians were asked to summarize their feelings in recent weeks, and their answers were concerning. Nearly half (48%) said they’ve been feeling “fatigued,” 40% said they’ve been “frustrated,” and 37% reported feeling anxious.

Only one in ten (12%) said they feel happy — almost half the number of people who said they were depressed (23%).

Do Canadians talk about their mental health?

Three out of 10 Canadians said they speak to friends or family about their mental health regularly. But this affinity to open up became rarer among men aged 55 and older.

A low 11% of men aged 55+ said they speak to their friends about how they’re doing, and 23% said they talk to their family. Meanwhile, women aged are 18-54 are “much more likely to have this type of discourse,” the study reported.

One-in-three Canadians (35%) say that depression and anxiety are a major problem within their social circle; another half (48%) say it’s an issue they’re exposed to.

Of those observing their friends and loved ones battle mental health challenges, 66% said things have worsened during the pandemic. “The same trends were noted for those who perceive people in their social circle dealing with addictions and alcoholism,” the study said.

If you’re experiencing stress and anxiety due to COVID, you likely have pandemic fatigue. The concept has been described by the World Health Organization as “demotivation” from the demands of the pandemic. Here’s what psychologists say about coping with it.

Imaan SheikhImaan Sheikh

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