Pandemic taking toll on mental health: poll

Lack of emotional support for some, UBC scientist says

The coronavirus is taking a toll on people’s mental health, according to a University of B.C. scientist and a recent poll.

A survey by Leger, which has been tracking people’s opinions about the pandemic since March, found that the proportion of respondents across Canada who felt their mental health was “very good” or “excellent” had dropped to 36 per cent June 8, down from 42 per cent when the polling firm started asking about mental health on April 20.

Most respondents said they felt their mental health was “good” (47 per cent), while 14 per cent said it was “bad” and two per cent said it was “very bad.” (Leger noted that it placed the “good” rating in the bottom three “as part of a standardized scale in academic research.”)

Joseph Puyat, an assistant professor at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, said he wouldn’t jump to conclusions from the poll, given that data was collected only six times since April 20.

But the downward trajectory is concerning, nonetheless, particularly given that there isn’t yet a vaccine, herd immunity or effective treatment, he said.

Puyat said people are experiencing major disruptions in emotional support from colleagues, schoolmates or family due to the pandemic.

Add to that the distress of losing work, preoccupation with caring for children and fear of the disease itself, and it’s understandable that people recognize, or at least feel, that their mental health is suffering, he said.

“Isolation and confinement is an important public health intervention to contain this pandemic,” said Puyat, who is also a scientist with the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences. “But it has unintended consequences on our mental health and we need to address that.”

For Puyat, an important part of the response has been to study published literature and systematically determine what interventions and activities have helped people’s mental health during periods of isolation. They’re seeing evidence that exercise has helped elevate people’s moods, and that arts-based activities have helped kids keep occupied and express themselves, while strengthening bonds with parents, he said.

“I was watching the TV news the other day and there were children painting stones with reassuring words like, ‘Stay safe, stay calm,’ ” he said. “I find that really helpful, activities like that, or meditation.”

Leger also asked respondents about leaving the house.

Half said it was either somewhat stressful (41 per cent) or very stressful (nine per cent).

The rest said it was stressful (49 per cent) or didn’t know or didn’t answer (one per cent). The survey was conducted from June 5-7 using computer-assisted web interviewing

technology, with 1,523 Canadians and 1,001 Americans at least 18 years old taking part.

Leger said no margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample, but, “for comparative purposes, a probability sample of 1,523 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.51 per cent, 19 times out of 20, while a probability sample of 1,001 would have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.”

Isolation and confinement ... has unintended consequences on our mental health and we need to address that.”

Joseph puyat, assistant professor at the school of population and public health