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Third poll in CMHA Ontario series indicates mental health impact of COVID-19 at all-time high

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As we mark the one-year anniversary of the province’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, a new survey is highlighting alarming trends that indicate the pandemic’s strain on the mental health of Ontarians has reached all-time highs.

The latest polling data commissioned by Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division shows that only a third of Ontarians (35 per cent) consider their current state of mental health as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent,’ a significant decrease from 52 per cent as recorded in its first poll last May.

Additionally, almost 80 per cent of Ontarians now believe we’ll be in a serious mental health crisis post-pandemic – up from 66 per cent in CMHA Ontario’s second poll in August.

The latest poll also showed a troubling pattern of loneliness: more than half Ontarians (57 per cent) are lonelier since the start of the pandemic, almost half (47 per cent) wish they had someone to talk to, and more than a third (36 per cent) say they are often, very often or almost always lonely.

Perhaps not surprisingly, rates of stress, anxiety and depression during the pandemic are also worse than ever.

This data comes from the third poll in a series Pollara Strategic Insights is conducting on behalf of CMHA Ontario to evaluate how Ontarians’ perceptions of their mental health are changing during the pandemic.

“When we decided to start surveying Ontarians a year ago, we were worried about the mental health fallout of the pandemic,” said CMHA Ontario CEO Camille Quenneville. “While we were concerned after our first round of results last spring, the second round in the summer provided some hopeful results. Now, the results of this latest poll show that people are having more trouble coping with the effects of the pandemic. The need for more supports has never been more clear.”

Mental health declining

Ontarians’ perceptions of their mental health have worsened dramatically since the previous polls.

Relationships impacted

The pandemic has both positively and negatively impacted relationships.

Access to services

More Ontarians are confident in their ability to find mental health and addictions supports now (52 per cent) than in the first round of polling (44 per cent), but:

COVID-19 concerns remain

A year into the pandemic, and despite vaccines coming, Ontarians generally are still concerned about the virus itself.

Pollara’s online research of 1,004 Ontario adults was conducted from Feb. 19-22. It carries a margin of error of ± 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Mental health and addictions supports have remained available through the pandemic at CMHA branches across the province. You can find your local CMHA branch at cmha.ca/find-your-cmha

If you are in crisis or need support, please contact HERE 24/7:1-844-HERE-247 (437-3247) or TTY 1-877-688-5501, www.here247.ca.

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