COVID-19 compounds mental health fears in north

SASKATOON Northern Saskatchewan First Nations say the COVID-19 pandemic is underscoring the need for better mental health service in the upper half of the province.

Waterhen First Nation councillor Dustin Ross Fiddler said his community contemplated declaring a state of emergency on Wednesday after a 14-year-old girl died by suicide. He said he’s aware of 10 other recent suicide attempts, which he attributes to the intense pressure of the pandemic and the forced cancellation of the reserve’s mental health programming.

“This weighs heavily on our people,” he said. “We went from having full programming for our youth and adults to all of that needing to be stopped so abruptly and immediately.” I know there were a lot of young people who lost a lot of hope.”

The challenges faced by northern communities in accessing mental health services are not new, but leaders say that the pandemic has brought them back to the surface.

Last fall, Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation declared a state of emergency after three suicides were recorded in two weeks, including a 10-year-old girl. The federal government stepped in with a $2.5-million commitment to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations’ suicide prevention plan, with a focus on youth support.

Makwa Sahgaiehcan Chief Ronald Mitsuing said COVID-19 has put the community back on edge, with local RCMP recording a doubling of mental health related calls between March 1 and May 9 compared to the same period last year.

He said many people in his community live without stable internet access, leaving them unable to get counselling and therapy services that are offered over video calls.

Canoe Lake Cree First Nation Chief Frances Iron said his community is managing well, but the local health centre has recorded an uptick in mental health-related visits. He said there are escalating anxieties in the community around northern checkpoints restricting travel.

“It feels like we’re on a full lockdown here,” Iron said.

Clearwater River Dene Nation Chief Teddy Clark said he’s optimistic his community, which recorded 28 cases of COVID -19 as of May 13, is adequately supported by on-reserve staff. However, he acknowledged the virus has heightened anxieties, especially since no one can be sure how long the outbreak will continue.

“A lot of people have come to realize that right now nobody really owns their life anymore,” Clark said. “We’re at the mercy of a virus that still has a lot of unknowns.”

Fiddler said the challenges his First Nation faces are common across the north — making him wonder if the pandemic presents a chance for a more unified northern approach.

“We need to stop working in silos,” Fiddler said.

Sally Ratt, who lives in Stanley Mission, said the pandemic highlights the challenges families face to get mental health support.

Her daughter, Ariana, died by suicide at age 12. Ratt said even booking a youth therapy visit took weeks.

“She had dire need of help, but she always came across roadblocks,” Ratt said. “As a mother of a child who took their own life by suicide, I understand they can’t do everything right away ... And as long as they’re moving forward now, I’m happy with that. It gives me a little hope.”

Some doctors who work in the north say such gaps are the result of a system that is both underfunded and divided.

Dr. Sara Dungavell, a Saskatoon-based psychiatrist who regularly travels to the north, said therapists and mental health specialists in different regions don’t have a common mechanism to collaborate, even when it might benefit patients.